


Not in Kansas Anymore

by Thursdays_Angel



Series: Picking Up the Pieces [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Loki (Marvel), Camping, Confrontations, Feisty Morgan, Flashbacks, Gen, Home Movies, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, King Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Morgan Stark is a cutie, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Loki (Marvel), Sassy Loki, Shenanigans, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Time Travel, Trauma, attempted science, depictions of torture, protective Morgan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 106,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21900964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thursdays_Angel/pseuds/Thursdays_Angel
Summary: Due to an experiment gone wrong, Loki and Morgan find themselves in a world devastated by loss. New York City is in ruins, Thor and Tony are missing, Chitauri roam the skies and half of the world’s population has been murdered. Oh, and apparently, Loki is King of Earth. Because why not?
Relationships: Loki & Avengers Team, Loki & Loki (Marvel), Loki & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki & Thor, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Thor, Tony Stark & Tony Stark
Series: Picking Up the Pieces [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1358788
Comments: 344
Kudos: 473





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a scientist nor do I pretend to be one. I don’t know jack about theoretical astrophysics but I did do some research to try and have the science make as much sense as I could and also try to make it as believable as possible. I may have started to watch Stargate again after writing this chapter. Tags will be updated as I go. I'm hoping to update this once a week. That may change, though, depending on when I put the finishing touches on the rest of it.

**_ Not in Kansas Anymore _ **

**_One_ **

The building was much more crowded than Thor had been expecting for this time of day. It was still relatively early; the scientific conference wasn’t set to really begin for another couple hours. Honestly, Thor wasn’t entirely sure why he was here. Midgardian science wasn’t really his area of expertise, it was more Loki’s thing. Tony had cajoled them both into coming though. Something about an exchange of ideas and technology.

Thor had lost Loki before they’d even arrived at the old Avenger’s tower. Thor wasn’t sure who owned the place now, Tony had sold it while Thor had been off searching for information on the Infinity Stones, but the building was part hotel, part hospital and part research center.

Tony had gone off to do something about registration and had left Morgan in his care until he returned. He knew it wouldn’t matter because once his niece spotted his brother she would attach herself to his side for the duration of their visit. It still surprised him sometimes how strong the bond between his brother and niece was. While he may be jealous of it sometimes, he wouldn’t begrudge the relationship. Loki needed to be the center of someone’s world for a change.

Thor draped his arm across the back of the bench he sat on and glanced down at the game Morgan was playing on his phone. He didn’t understand the appeal of it, something about a bunch of different animals and a camp, but Morgan seemed to enjoy it.

It was while he waited and not really paying attention to anything around him that he heard someone say his name. When he glanced up, he was surprised to see Jane and Erik walking towards them.

Thor had mixed emotions about seeing his ex-girlfriend. On one hand, he was glad to see her in good health after returning from the Snap. On the other, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to her anymore.

Thor stood; making sure Morgan continued to be occupied by her game. “Jane, Erik,” Thor said, “it’s good to see you.”

Jane _seemed_ happy to see him but the air still felt awkward to Thor. “You too,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

Thor shrugged, “Waiting for Tony.” He waved a hand in the general direction Tony had disappeared in. “He said something about registering us. I don’t know. I’m just watching Morgan until he gets back.”

Both Jane and Erik looked at the little girl who was still occupied with her game. “You have a daughter?” Erik asked.

Thor’s eyebrows shot up and Jane looked slightly hurt at the thought. Huh? “No, no,” Thor replied. “She’s Tony’s daughter.”

“Tony?”

“Stark.”

“Ah,” Erik said. “I’d heard that Tony Stark had a child now.”

“How are you doing?”

Erik shrugged and scratched the back of his head. “Not bad considering I was dead but not really dead for five years. I’m not sure what was worse, losing five years of my life or being mind controlled by your psychotic brother.”

Thor winced, “About that…”

Morgan suddenly hopped down from the bench, leaving the phone behind and running towards the new figure walking towards them. “Ki!”

The four year old barreled into Loki, who adjusted his stance so he wouldn’t drop the tray of drinks he was holding. “You would think it has been _years_ since you had seen me, not twenty minutes,” Loki said to Morgan with affection.

Morgan grinned up at him from where she hugged his waist. “Did you getz hot cocoa?”

“I did.”

“Minty cocoa?”

Loki knelt down, pulling the smallest cup from the tray, “Is there any other kind?” He handed the cup over, “Be careful, it’s still very hot.”

“Okay,” Morgan blew over the tiny slit in the top. “Thank you Ki.”

“You’re welcome sweetie.” Loki stood up and Thor watched his face as his brother caught sight of the others who had joined them. “Hello Dr. Foster, Selvig.”

Jane gasped, “Oh my god.”

“I thought you said he was dead!” Erik exclaimed.

“Surprise,” Loki said before Thor could reply. He pulled another cup from the tray and handed it to Thor before taking his own cup. The last cup remained in the tray, which Loki set on the bench. “Tony still not back yet?” he asked Thor.

“I think he’s lost,” replied Thor.

Jane and Erik continued to gape at Loki. Loki raised an eyebrow at them as he took a sip of his drink. “If you keep staring like that your face will freeze.”

“It will?” Morgan asked, gasping.

“Oh yes,” Loki replied, smirking. “It will stay like that forever.”

Thor rolled his eyes. “No it won’t.”

“But I could make it.”

Thor gave his brother a droll stare. “No, because then I’ll hit you.”

Morgan gasped again. “That’s mean T’or. Don’ hit Ki.”

Thor bent over to be more at Morgan’s eye level. “How about if he does, you can stab him.”

“I’m not gonna stab Ki!”

Thor felt his eye twitch. “But didn’t Loki teach you to stab things.”

“Well yeah but… You don’ stab Ki, T’or. That’s mean too.”

Loki’s smirk turned into a wide grin. “You see brother, I have taught her well.”

“You’re teaching her all of your bad habits,” replied Thor as he straightened.

“ _My_ bad habits?” Loki paused. “You may actually be right about that.”

“ _How_ are you alive?” Jane broke in.

Annoyance flashed briefly across Loki’s face. Thor knew the events on Svartalfheim were not a subject Loki liked bringing up. “Long story short,” Loki replied, “I healed.”

“Yeah but… I mean, my God, you were _impaled_.”

“Perhaps we should discuss this later,” Loki said, gesturing pointedly towards Morgan.

“To hell with him being alive,” Erik exclaimed. “After everything he’s done, why isn’t he in jail?”

“Why would Ki go to jail?” Morgan asked. “Only bad people go to jail.”

Thor quickly clapped a hand over Erik’s mouth before the man could say anything further. “Why don’t you two see if you can’t go find Tony,” he suggested.

“Good idea,” Loki said, bending down and wrapping an arm around Morgan’s legs so he could lift her up. “Let’s find your daddy,” he said to Morgan, “and brag about _all_ the minty cocoa we had that he’s missed out on.”

Once they were out of earshot, Thor dropped his hand. “I’m sorry about that but there are some things Morgan is too young to understand. She thinks the world of Loki and I’m not about to let you speak badly about him around her.”

“He tried to take over the world,” Erik said.

“Not really,” Thor replied.

“He brainwashed me along with a bunch of other people.”

“Yes, but the scepter was controlling him as well.”

“He killed people!”

“So have I.”

That stopped Erik short. “But… But…”

“There is much more to what happened than you know about,” Thor said. “What he did to you was wrong, I know that and so does he. Loki regrets everything he did back then but, honestly it could have ended up a lot worse.”

“What could be worse than world domination?”

Thor felt his anger spike. This was not an argument he wanted to have right now. He wished there was a way for people to see that Loki wasn’t to blame for everything. He’d been a victim too. “Try Thanos coming here himself and killing off half the population instead.”

That seemed to give the other man pause and both Erik and Jane’s eyes widened in horror.

Thor continued. “Thanos wiped out half of all life with the Snap but we were able to reverse it. If he’d come here back then he would have simply killed people at random and there would not have been any way to fix that.”

“He looks healthy,” Jane remarked. “When I’d first met Loki, while I was still angry at him for what he’d done here, it was hard to miss how unhealthy he looked. I suppose I refused to let myself think there could have been another explanation.”

“I was just as guilty of that as well,” Thor admitted. “It wasn’t until Asgard was destroyed and Loki nearly killed by Thanos that I’d allowed myself to think things may not have been what I’d thought they were.”

“Asgard was destroyed?” Jane gasped.

Thor quickly explained the events that encompassed Hela’s release and the destruction of Asgard along with Thanos’s attack on their people. He didn’t go too in depth, just enough for them to realize the horror they had witnessed and experienced.

“I’m so sorry,” Jane said once he’d finished. “I’m glad you were able to get at least one thing back.”

“Yes, well, turns out Loki was born to be the vessel for the Infinity Stones and the entity they created brought back Asgard and all of her people, our parents included.”

Even Erik seemed sympathetic to what both of the brothers had been through. “The scepter controlled him too,” he said after a moment.

Thor nodded, “Though none of us knew that at the time, including Loki. He’d been tortured with it for nearly a year before he was sent here for the Tesseract. Thinking back, I’m not surprised he did what he did.”

“Under those circumstances I can’t say that I blame him,” Jane said.

Thor felt a wave of relief at her understanding. While it didn’t change what happened, at least there didn’t appear to be all out hatred towards his brother.

They were saved from further discussion on the topic when the others returned. “We found daddy!” Morgan exclaimed, gesturing to her father from her place on Loki’s hip.

“Sorry,” Tony said, “the registration line was longer than I’d expected.” He retrieved the last cup from the tray and took a sip. He frowned down at the cup. “It’s cold.”

Thor couldn’t help but chuckle at Tony’s dejected look. He glanced up to see Morgan sipping at her own cup, laughter clear in her eyes. “You truly are a poor influence on her brother,” Thor said to Loki.

“I am no such thing,” Loki replied, affecting an offended tone. He swept out his free arm, taking an exaggerated regal pose, “I am the epitome of a perfect role model.”

Tony nearly shot his drink out of his nose and he coughed to clear his airway. “‘God of Lies’ you may be but _that_ was terrible.”

Loki rolled his eyes and Morgan frowned down at her cup now, for once looking like her father. “My minty cocoa’s all gone Ki.”

Loki shook his cup. “There is still a little left in mine.” He handed her what was left of his drink, her cup vanishing in a flash of green. “We will have to get more later.”

“Okay,” Morgan agreed.

“You spoil her,” Thor said.

“ _I’m_ the favorite uncle,” Loki replied. “It’s my job.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re bribing her for affection.”

“Bite your tongue heathen.”

“You two are Norse gods,” Tony said, “technically that makes you both heathens.”

Thor and his brother both gave Tony the same dry stare. Thor held out his hand, “Knife?”

“Seriously?” Tony asked. “Not you too Point Break.” He pointed to Loki. “ _This_ is why you’re a bad influence.”

“I like to think of my methods as elegant,” replied Loki. “Thor just beats everything to a pulp. However, now that he no longer has Mjölnir… It is a tad hard to smash things with an axe and not end up with body parts flying everywhere.”

“I have _never_ chopped anyone up,” Thor said.

“Not entirely true,” said Loki, “but _he_ deserved it. Although you have mentioned hiding bodies before so…”

Morgan lit up. “I’ll help.”

Tony’s head dropped and his shoulders sagged. “No. No, we are not hiding any bodies and _you_ ,” he gestured to Morgan, “are not allowed to participate in anything to do with the hiding of bodies or bodily harm or any of that until you are _at least_ thirty.”

Morgan pouted, “You’re no fun daddy.”

“I’m not supposed to be fun,” Tony replied.

“I’ll show you everything you need to know,” Loki said to Morgan.

Morgan smiled, “okay.”

Tony threw up his hands. “Why do I even bother? She listens to Merlin more than she listens to everyone else, except maybe Pepper. Though Loki being a responsible parental figure is still creepy.”

“Doesn’t Loki have,” Erik thought for a moment, “six children?”

“I have _zero_ children,” Loki replied.

“The mythos—”

“Are wrong,” interrupted Loki. “I have no children, though I will claim Morgan for my own all day, every day.”

Morgan hugged Loki. “You’re my uncle Ki, not my daddy.”

“I know that.”

She giggled. “Can we getz more minty cocoa now?”

“The mythos can’t all be wrong,” argued Erik before Loki could reply.

Thor thought about it. “They really can,” he said.

Erik shook his head in denial. “Jörmungander.”

“Doesn’t exist,” Thor shrugged, “at least not that we’ve been able to find.”

“Hel.”

“Homicidal older sister and her name was actually Hela,” Loki said.

“Fenrir.”

“Hela’s mount, both of which are dead,” answered Thor.

“Sleipnir.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “That never happened and, as a matter of fact, Sleipnir is older than Thor and me.”

“Váli and Narfi.”

Thor shared a confused look with his brother. “No idea who those are.”

Erik was shaking his head in denial. “No, no because Loki had se—” His voice stopped suddenly even though his mouth kept moving.

Loki lowered his hand. “ _Four year old present,_ ” he emphasized his point by waving his free hand around Morgan. “Complete that sentence and you can explain s-e-x to her then explain to her _mother_ why you gave her daughter ‘the talk’.”

“What’s ‘the talk’?” Morgan asked.

All of the adults blanched at her question. “You’ll find out when you’re older,” Tony replied, shooting a glare at the other scientist.

“You’re here to observe the conference?” Jane asked, pointedly changing the subject.

“Yes,” Tony replied, jumping at the opening. “It’s nice to see what the other egg-heads are getting up to every now and again.”

“I think you’ll like our demonstration,” Jane said as they headed to the auditorium. “We were able to take the data obtained by SHIELD of the Tesseract along with the readings from the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and,” she waved her hands around for emphasis, “build a working prototype. It can’t go very far yet but once we perfect the technology we’ll be able to go pretty much anywhere in the known universe.”

“You built a Bifröst?” Thor asked in amazement.

“No, we built a miniature Einstein-Rosen Bridge.”

“What’s the difference?” Tony asked.

“The Bifröst is, in many ways, manipulated by seiðr,” replied Loki.

“Hold on, you harnessed seiðr with a _machine_? _I’m_ still trying to understand how seiðr works so I can augment Loki’s armor and you did it with zero understanding of it at all?” Tony cried.

“What’s seiðr?” Erik asked.

Loki shrugged, “magic.”

Jane let out an exasperated breath. “Magic doesn’t exist. It’s just science we don’t yet understand.”

“Tell that to my genetic makeup,” Loki said drily.

Jane stopped and spun to face him. “That’s not possible,” she gaped. “It’s technology.”

“Ki’s gotz magic,” Morgan said. She smiled, “He’s the bestest at it.”

“It’s literally in my blood,” Loki told Jane, “I can’t survive without it.”

She gripped his free arm, her eyes ablaze with excitement. “I need a blood sample.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“If this technology is _in_ you—”

“It’s not technology.”

“—then I need to see how it interacts with you. Maybe it’s nanites?” Jane paused to take a breath, “Nanites seem to be the most logical explanation. They would have to be self-replicating to pass from mother to child.” Jane looked past Loki to Thor. “Your mother has the same ability too, right? It would have passed from her to Loki?”

“It would have if she had given birth to me,” Loki said.

Jane’s eyes seemed to grow wider. “You’re adopted?”

“I thought you knew that,” Thor said.

Jane waved the hand that wasn’t gripping Loki’s wrist. “Maybe you did but I forgot. Either way, it’s still intriguing. One of the bigger questions is where did the technology originate from? Has it changed since it was first introduced into the body?”

“It’s _not_ technology,” Loki repeated. He pulled his wrist from her grasp and turned his gaze to Thor. “You dated _this?_ ”

Jane’s cheeks turned crimson, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m trying to understand how Thor ever kept up with you,” Loki replied. “You’re practically vibrating. I’m sort of waiting for your head to explode.”

Jane blinked, “Oh,” she waved a hand, “in that case I’ll decide not to take that as an insult.”

Jane continued on and Thor could only shrug when his brother looked back at him, his expression clearly asking _seriously_?

They entered the auditorium where there were a number of scientists already gathered. Thor spotted Banner and gave him a small wave. The larger man waved back but continued his conversation with a man Thor didn’t recognize.

Near the stage of the auditorium were two devices. They were identical in appearance, each device sporting a large ring, a computer interface and what Thor guessed was some kind of power source. They were not neat looking by any stretch of the imagination, with wiring flowing nearly all around them. Thor couldn’t say he would have expected any different from Jane. While form usually left something to be desired, function was normally on point.

Jane led them to the devices where she proudly gestured to them. “We’re still working on an actual name but these devices, when connected; create a miniature Einstein-Rosen Bridge.”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Loki said.

“Loki, don’t go there,” Tony sighed. “ _Please,_ don’t go there.”

“What?” Jane and Erik asked.

“Let me take a wild guess but in order for these to function in a three dimensional model you would need six points to determine the location with a seventh for the point of origin?”

“Yes, exactly!” Jane exclaimed. “You understand the science?”

“Don’t say it,” repeated Tony.

“You built a Stargate,” Loki said.

Tony groaned, “He said it.”

“What’s a Stargate?” Thor asked.

“It’s basically the device they built but larger, made with a material that doesn’t exist and started off as a movie in ’94 which turned into a ten season television series with multiple spin-offs,” Loki explained. “We’ll binge watch them after this. Only the movies, _SG-1_ and _Atlantis_ though. _Universe_ was complete garbage.”

“Sounds interesting,” Thor said.

“It is,” Loki said. “Though we’re both graylings but you are the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet.”

Tony groaned. “Thor, we _really_ need to ban your brother from watching TV.”

“At least it wasn’t a _Supernatural_ reference this time,” Thor pointed out.

“Good point,” agreed Tony.

Loki rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Jane and Erik. “How does this device work?”

The conversation quickly turned to subjects Thor declined to pay any attention to. It wasn’t that he did not understand the science behind it, he was smarter than he let on, but theoretical astrophysics just wasn’t an attention grabber for him. Of course, he was _not_ about to tell Jane that he could call forth the Bifröst with Stornbreaker. That would lead to an extended conversation he would rather not have.

Thor took a seat and eventually the others did as well as the conference finally began. Morgan sat between him and Loki, her attention captured by the seiðr dancing around his brother’s fingers.

Thor found his attention drawn between the presentations and the items his brother was manifesting. From what Thor could tell when he turned his attention on his brother, Loki was using his seiðr absentmindedly. Occasionally Morgan would pull Loki’s attention from the presentation but for the most part, he seemed truly interested in the demonstrations.

Thor really became interested in the proceedings when Jane and Erik took the stage. They spoke about the science behind their device. Thor knew Loki was constantly changing _Einstein-Rosen_ to _Bifröst_ in his mind. Thor found himself doing the same thing. He had to admit that Jane had a better understanding of how the Bifröst worked than he would have expected.

Both the brothers and Tony sat forward just a little bit more when the devices were turned on for a demonstration. Thor could almost feel the energy flowing between the machines. Within the rings, a haze seemed to form, outlined in a dark blue.

Jane and Erik each took a place beside one of the machines. Thor watched as Jane explained what they were seeing, though using terms that meant nothing to him. Jane held up a small red ball…

“These devices are currently creating a wormhole between them,” said Jane. “All we are able to see is a manufactured event horizon. The wormhole itself has actually formed outside of space/time.”

“While we are still in the prototype stage,” continued Erik, “they are functional in short distances.” He motioned to Jane. “If you’ll observe,” he said to the audience.

Jane once more held up the ball for everyone to see before tossing it into her device. The ball disappeared only to reappear a moment later exiting the other device. Erik caught the ball.

“As you can see,” said Jane, “the ball was transported through the wormhole and reemerged completely unharmed.”

Applause echoed through the auditorium. Over the noise of the clapping Thor heard Loki huff.

“Something the matter brother?” he asked.

“Those machines do not function at all like the Bifröst. There’s something… _wrong_ about them.”

“How do you mean?” Tony asked.

Loki’s expression turned frustrated. “I wish I could put my finger on it but I can’t.”

“Could it have anything to do with having been influenced by the Tesseract? Granted the Space Stone was destroyed so I doubt it could have the same energy signature but…”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. It’s just… it feels strange in the ether.”

They returned their attention to the demonstration, which ended a short time later. The audience slowly began to trickle out of the auditorium while Thor and the rest headed for the stage. Erik did stiffen slightly at Loki’s approach but his brother ignored the other man. Loki began to speak with Jane about the devices and she gave him a large binder. Loki sat cross-legged on the edge of the stage and began to page through what Jane had given him.

Morgan leaned over Loki’s back, her chin resting on his shoulder and her arms dangling over his front as he read. It looked uncomfortable to Thor but his brother never said anything to the little girl. Morgan began pushing Loki’s hair into his eyes only to have Loki push the strands out of the way. She did it again and Loki put the binder to the side, twisted to wrap an arm around Morgan and pulled her into his lap. Morgan’s laugher echoed throughout the auditorium.

“Morgan,” Tony said, “why don’t you leave Loki alone for a few minutes?”

“She’s alright,” Loki replied and Thor spotted a simulacrum flipping through the binder. “I can multitask.”

Tony shrugged. “I _was_ trying to give you a few minutes of not being climbed on Merlin.”

Morgan continued to giggle. “Ki, can I come live with you? Daddy’s mean.”

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed.

“I don’t mind,” replied Loki, “but you may want to ask your mommy first.”

Morgan appeared to go “dead weight” in Loki’s lap. She sighed dramatically, “I’m _never_ gonna get to live with you.”

“That’s adorable,” Jane said.

“Yeah,” Tony remarked drily, “I’m getting cavities.”

“We’ve already established that you’re just jealous,” Loki said with a smirk.

“Bite me.”

“You would enjoy it too much.”

“Are they always like this?” Erik asked.

“Pretty much,” answered Thor.

“What are you using as a power source?” Loki asked suddenly.

“During testing we were tapping into the power grid,” Jane looked sheepish. “That is until we blew out Puente Antiguo’s grid.”

“You’ve tapped into the ARC Reactor that’s still powering this building,” Tony said. “That’s why the city still has power.”

“It was the only way to perform the test without destroying more grids. It was also the only way to maintain a stable wormhole for any real length of time.”

“I would love to learn more,” said Tony. “Coffee?”

Jane and Erik agreed and Thor followed the three of them as they headed from the room. It wasn’t until they were halfway down the aisle that Thor realized they were missing people. He turned back to the stage and saw his brother still studying the devices, Morgan at his side. “Aren’t you coming Loki?”

Loki’s eyes flitted to him for a moment before returning to the screen. “Not yet. I don’t understand; they’re just going to leave without turning these off?”

That was probably a bad idea. Thor didn’t find himself surprised that Jane had forgotten about them. He turned to get her attention when he heard something pop. The acrid smell of something burning reached his nose. Thor turned back just in time to see something arch between the two devices.

The event horizons had somehow connected, something Thor hadn’t thought was possible. The dark blue that had encompassed the event horizon grew and it reminded Thor of the Space Stone. “Loki! Morgan!”

Morgan let out a cry of fright, gripping tightly to Loki. Loki swung her up into his arms but before either he or Thor could move, the machines exploded.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki & Morgan begin their search for Thor and Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! I felt like being nice and posting chapter two early. Hope everyone has a great day and see you all again Sunday. 
> 
> Valhalla, NY is an actual place. When I was looking over Google Maps for a place outside of New York City for Loki to have left from I saw that and couldn’t resist. I should probably stop with the Supernatural references, huh? But come on! If they have to steal a car, it has to be a classic! It was either a classic Impala or a Mustang.

**_Two_ **

_K…i… K…i… ke… up…_

Loki’s head felt like it was in a fog. A voice reached his ears but he couldn’t quite make out what it was saying.

_Up… i… ke… up… K…i… ke… up…_

“Ki, wake up!”

Loki’s eyes blinked open. His vision was met with near complete darkness. He could make out the shape of Morgan leaning over him, her hands gripping tightly to his shirt as she shook him. He manifested witch lights so he could see clearer. “Morgan?”

“Ki,” Morgan cried, flinging herself at him. “You scared me Ki. You wouldn’t wake up.”

Loki hugged her reassuringly. “I’m sorry sweetie. How long was I out?”

Loki realized that might have been the wrong question to ask when he felt Morgan shrug against him. “I don’ know but it’s dark and I can’t find daddy or T’or.”

He sat up and leaned enough to the side to pull his cellphone from his pocket. He unlocked it but frowned when he saw _Service Unavailable_ at the top of the screen. Putting the phone away he, somehow, managed to stand with Morgan still holding tightly to him. He sent his lights further out into the room and saw the auditorium looked nothing like it had earlier. The room was in complete ruin, parts of the ceiling lay on the floor with light fixtures and wiring dangled from the holes.

Holding Morgan tighter, he carefully made his way from the room. The ruin extended further out into the building. Everywhere Loki looked were signs of destruction. Moonlight filtered in through broken windows and he could clearly see burnt out cars lining the street. _What happened?_ he thought.

Finally exiting the building Loki’s gaze swept around the surrounding area. Signs of battle were _everywhere_. To his relief there didn’t appear to be any remaining attackers, whomever they may have been. What had happened? There was no way he could have been unconscious long enough for New York to have been attacked to such an extent and where were Thor and Tony? Neither of the other two men would have abandoned him and Morgan.

There was also the problem that the season was wrong. It was the middle of February and the city had been covered in snow. The current temperature was summerlike and not at all what it had been earlier in the day.

He set Morgan on her feet, though not without some difficulty, and knelt down before her. He manifested the small snake-pin Tony had gifted to him years before. “F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

_“Yes, Mr. Loki,”_ replied the AI.

He’d tried to get Tony to have the AI stop calling him “Mr.” but that was neither here nor there at the moment. “I’m giving my armor to Morgan. If _anything_ happens, you activate it to protect her. Understand?”

“Ki?” Morgan asked.

_“Yes sir,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

He removed her winter coat, as it was obvious she didn’t need it anymore. He sent it into his pocket for safekeeping. He attached the pin to Morgan’s shirt. “I don’t know what’s going on sweetie but I don’t want anything to happen to you. I want you to wear my armor so you’ll be safe.”

“What about you?” asked Morgan.

“I’ll be fine. I have other armor, remember?”

Morgan nodded but she didn’t look entirely convinced. Loki picked her back up and slowly began to make his way down the street. His eyes roved around, taking in the scenery before him. Buildings were crumbling, debris lay blocking the streets and glass crunched underneath his boots. Looking up, Loki felt his heart skip a beat. A Chitauri Leviathan soared across the sky. Loki darted beneath an overhang, gripping Morgan just a little tighter to him.

The Chitarui were here? How? Thanos’s army had been defeated, reduced to nothing more than dust. Even within their own time, Tony’s wish to destroy Thanos’s army should have reduced that army to ash as well.

Once the Leviathan passed they continued on. Loki hoped to find signs of life the further from the city center they went but so far, it was nothing more than continued destruction. Loki realized they would find no answers there. “Morgan, I’m going to teleport us further out of the city.”

“Okay,” she replied, tucking her head against his shoulder. “What about daddy and T’or?”

Loki sighed, he hadn’t a clue. “We’ll try to find them. They may have gone for help but were unable to make it back.” He teleported them further towards the city’s suburbs. The destruction didn’t seem quite as bad out here. There was still damage though it was nowhere near the level they had first encountered.

Loki continued walking for some time and felt a spark of hope when he spotted a convenience store that had lights on. He quickly made his way towards it and headed inside.

There was a jingle of bells as he pushed the door open, alerting anyone inside to his presence. By all appearances, whatever had befallen New York City hadn’t quite made it this far out.

“Good evening,” a forced cheery voice greeted him. “Can I help you find anything?”

Loki spotted the worker, a woman who couldn’t have been much into her twenties. Her smile fell and complexion drained of all color when she spotted him. Her gaze darted away and she lowered her head. Loki wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. It made something twist in his stomach though and he didn’t like the feeling one bit.

Readjusting Morgan on his hip he asked, “Do you have a phone I could use? I’m not getting any service.”

The young woman bit her lip but nodded. “You can try milord but phone services have been in and out.”

“Thank you,” Loki replied. “I…” He paused, confusion overcoming him. “What did you just call me?”

The woman fidgeted and fear entered her eyes. “Was I supposed to call you something else? I’m sorry, please don’t—”

Loki held out a hand but jerked it back at her flinch. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he tried to reassure the woman. “We just came from the city and I’m trying to reach my brother and friend.”

Though still visibly frightened, the woman gestured for him to follow her to the counter. She handed him a portable phone and still refused to make eye contact. Her hand trembled.

Loki tried to be as nonthreatening as possible. He put the phone to his ear, thankful for a dial tone, and then tried Thor’s number. Instead of ringing he heard, _“The number you have dialed, is not in service.”_ He hung up and tried again, this time with Tony’s number only to receive the same results. He sighed and handed the woman back the phone. “Thank you.”

Morgan sat up and tugged at his shirt. “Ki, I gotta go potty.”

“Okay,” he turned to the woman, “do you have a bathroom?”

“In the back,” she replied, pointing in the direction of the bathrooms.

Loki thanked her again and headed that way. After helping Morgan in the bathroom, he pulled a few bottles of water from the refrigerated section. He had no idea how long it would be before they found anyone familiar and Loki’s survival instincts were telling him to prepare for a long road. He kept Morgan by his side as he collected some supplies, thankful for his ability to place everything within his dimensional pocket.

After picking up everything he could think to grab at the moment he went up to the counter only to find the young woman from earlier was no longer there. He hadn’t understood her reaction earlier or why she had called him, “milord.” It didn’t make any sense. He threw a fifty down on the counter, more than enough for what he’d taken, and headed out of the store, Morgan’s hand in his. It was as they were leaving that the newspaper caught his eye.

_WORLD GOVERNMENTS ANNOUNCE SURRENDER. LOKI OF ASGARD OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS RULER OF EARTH._

The world seemed to fall out from under him. Loki grabbed the paper and read the headline several times, still not believing what he was reading. A picture accompanied the headline. He saw himself, dressed in leathers and a helm he had not worn in years, gazing with dead eyes out over a crowd of people. Held in the hand of his image was the scepter.

Loki swallowed hard and placed the paper back. He couldn’t believe what he had just read. It couldn’t be true. Reaching back, he grabbed the paper again and tucked it away in his pocket. He picked Morgan back up and fled the store.

Morgan’s fingers played with his hair. “Ki,” she asked a short time later, “are you scared?”

Loki’s steps slowed to a stop. He sighed. He didn’t want to scare her but, “Yes,” he admitted. “I don’t know what has happened. I don’t know where Thor or your daddy are and right now I have no way of contacting them.” Loki brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I am scared because I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Morgan hugged him and Loki felt himself relax just the slightest bit. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me Ki. You’re with me and you’re the bestest fighter ever.”

Loki pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you sweetie, I needed that.” He steeled himself. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. are you able to connect to the internet?”

His question was met with silence for a moment. Eventually F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied, _“Yes, however the data is not aligning with my last known scans.”_

Morgan’s expression of confusion mirrored Loki’s. “In what way?” he asked.

_“According to the World Clock the current GMT is 03:15, one July, two-thousand-twelve.”_

“July first?” How long _had_ he been unconscious? Wait a minute! “Two thousand _twelve_!” he exclaimed.

_“That is what the data indicates,”_ the AI replied.

They somehow being in 2012 made some sense, at least in why his phone, and Thor and Tony’s phone numbers were not working. The technology in his phone didn’t exist as far as this time was concerned.

“Are you able to connect my phone to the internet?”

_“Yes, I can create a hotspot and work as an interface between the technology here and your phone. You will only need to enable your phone’s Wi-Fi.”_

“Do it,” Loki said as he enabled the Wi-Fi on his phone. While now was not the time to stop and see what was going on, once they had found a decent shelter for them to rest he would do research while Morgan slept.

“Where are we going?” Morgan asked.

Good question. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. where is Tony’s current residence listed as?”

_“Malibu California,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered.

That was on the complete opposite side of the country. Loki took a moment to think about their best course of action. He could teleport them to California but he didn’t know where exactly in Malibu Tony’s house was and he didn’t think he’d really get an answer. Walking would take months.

Glancing around, Loki realized there were a number of abandoned cars in the road. He should have noticed that before but he’d been too concerned with trying to contact his brother and friend.

“Looks like you and I are going to take a road trip,” he said to Morgan.

“Really?” she asked excitedly. “Like Sam and Dean?”

“Yes, just like Sam and Dean.” Maybe Thor and Tony were right about his being a poor influence on Morgan. No use worrying about it now. “We need a car.”

Morgan’s head swiveled around as she examined the different vehicles around them. She pointed at something over his shoulder, “That one.”

Loki turned to see where she pointed, and spotted a silver Prius. “We are not _that_ desperate.”

“No, not the crappy one,” she shook her head and gestured again, “ _that_ one.”

He slowly walked over towards where she pointed and felt his eyes widen. Had he, to channel Tony, been struck with the good luck fairy? Behind the Prius was a black beauty, trimmed in chrome. He felt himself beginning to grin like an idiot. “Hello beautiful.”

He set Morgan down as he inspected the classic Chevy Impala. It appeared to be in working condition and he couldn’t spot any rust at the outset. Laying on the ground, he brought forth a few lights so he could inspect the undercarriage. He let out an impressed whistle. Whoever the owner was, they obviously took good care of their vehicle. He stood and tried the door. It was unlocked. _Yahtzee!_

“Are we gonna take Dean’s car?” Morgan asked.

“Yes,” replied Loki, a little more excited about that than he should be. “Yes we are.”

“Isn’t that…” her face scrunched up in thought, “stealing? That’s bad right?”

“You’re right,” Loki agreed, “stealing is bad, but we’re not stealing the car?”

“We’re not?”

“Nope. We’re _borrowing_ , without permission.”

“Oh, okay.”

Loki couldn’t help but shake his head, smiling just the tiniest bit. Tony was going to kill him.

He helped Morgan into the car. He didn’t have a booster seat for her but he wasn’t going to worry about that right now. The Impala didn’t have airbags and besides, desperate times and all.

After buckling her in, he searched for keys but couldn’t find any. Loki wasn’t about to let that deter him. With a little manipulation of his seiðr the car turned over, the sound of the engine music to his ears. He and Morgan both yelped when Justin Bieber began to blare from the radio.

“My ears!” Morgan cried, covering her ears. “Icky music, icky music!”

Loki agreed wholeheartedly, quickly changing the station. His lip curled in disgust and a whole body shudder went through him. “Why would anyone torture themselves with that? I understand that driver picks the music—”

“And shotgun shuts his cakehole.”

Loki chuckled, “True but,” he shuddered again, “whoever chose that should be shot. This car deserves much better.” He adjusted the radio but unfortunately, most of what he could find was static. Plan B then. He pulled out his phone and brought up his playlist of classic rock. AC/DC’s _Back in Back_ began to play. “Better?”

Morgan nodded. “Better,” she agreed.

“Good.” Placing the car in drive, he began their journey to California.

* * *

“Looks like he’s finally resurfaced,” Maria Hill said quietly as she reviewed security camera footage sent to her by JARVIS. Stark had instructed his AI to keep an eye out for their Asgardian overlord. Loki had been moving about quite a lot lately and it had been next to impossible to pin his exact location down.

“Where?” asked Nick Fury.

Hill typed a few commands into the computer. She let out a somewhat amused huff. “Valhalla, New York.”

Fury’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m sure there is some kind of irony in that.” He sobered, his single eye turning serious. “How many did he kill?”

“No one,” Hill replied. “He doesn’t appear to have the scepter either but…” She gestured to the screen. “It looks like he has a child with him.”

“Come again?” Fury asked, not sure he had heard right. He leaned over Hill’s shoulder to get a better look at the screen. Sure enough, there was Loki holding a young girl in his arms. “What in God’s name does he want with a kid?”

Hill shrugged. “Thor might be able to answer that?”

Fury hummed, standing and folding his arms across his chest. “Send out the signal. Give them Loki’s last known and have them tail him. I don’t want them to engage Loki until we know more.”

“Yes sir,” Hill said and proceeded to carry out his order.

_What are you planning now asshole?_ Fury thought. _Was mass murder not enough for you? What is your endgame?_

Unfortunately, those questions would remain unanswered for the time being. For now, all he could do was watch and wait. It galled him to be so helpless. If he ever got the chance he’d put a bullet right between Loki’s eyes.

* * *

Loki drove through the night, going as far as a nearly full tank of gas could take him. The further from New York they went the less destruction there seemed to be. The amount of abandoned cars he had to weave around on the highway did hinder their progress a little. Loki was also quite unsettled from the presence of the Chitauri he spotted now and again.

Morgan had fallen asleep some time ago and Loki could feel his own eyes beginning to droop. They needed to find a place to stay so they could rest for a while. He glanced over at the sleeping four year old. He would need to find her more appropriate clothing. Winter clothes in the summer just wouldn’t do.

The stretch of highway he was currently on was relatively clear. He’d only had to weave around a couple of cars. He spotted signs for the next exit and was glad to see that not only was there a place to get gas and something to eat there were hotels too.

He took the next exit and proceeded to the first gas station he could find. Much like the convenience store earlier, this one appeared to be in service. He pulled up to the pump and realized he had a slight problem. While he did have a good amount of cash at his disposal, it wouldn’t last forever and absolutely _none_ of his credit cards would work.

_Jump off that bridge when you come to it._

Making sure Morgan was still sleeping he got out of the car and headed inside, only to turn right back around and grab Morgan anyway. He picked her up and she fell right back to sleep on his shoulder. He couldn’t… the thought of letting her out of his sight had sent such a spike of fear through him that he just… couldn’t.

The gas station was a bit more crowded than the convenience store had been. He came to a halt as soon as he stepped inside and all heads turned to him. A chill ran down his spine at their scrutiny. He refused to let them see how much it bothered him. Loki wandered to the back of the store where the restrooms were and gently woke Morgan.

Morgan groaned and nuzzled further against his shoulder. “I don’ wanna,” she mumbled.

“We’ve stopped for some things,” he said softly. “Why don’t we see if you need to go potty.”

Morgan hummed but sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Are we where daddy and T’or are yet?”

“Not yet.”

Morgan’s frown would have been adorable under different circumstances. He set her down and led her into the bathroom. He could feel the eyes of the other patrons following him wherever he went. It unsettled him to no end.

After helping her and telling her to stand _right outside the stall, do not move,_ he relieved himself as well. They left the bathroom and once more Loki grabbed some water and snacks for later. They really did need to find a place to get a decent meal.

At the counter, the associate was so tense Loki feared the kid would pass out. Loki placed his items on the counter and tried for a reassuring smile. He gestured to the pump where the Impala was parked.

“I’d like to fill the tank. I don’t know how much that’ll be though.”

An older man came up beside the associate and gave Loki a forced smile. It was nearly identical to the one the girl at the other store had had. “Don’t worry about it milord,” said the second man. His nametag marked him as the store manager. “Take whatever you need.”

Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know who you seem to think I am but I’m not.”

The manager and associate exchanged a look. “You’re not King Loki of Asgard?”

Loki’s eyes widened in shock. He remembered the newspaper from the day before, the one he hadn’t had the chance to read. “No, I’m not,” he replied.

At his side, Morgan tugged on his shirt to get his attention. “Ki, why did he say youz a king? I thought you was a prince.”

Loki’s gaze darted between Morgan and the two workers. His smile turned sheepish. “If I could just pay for my things, my niece and I will be on our way.”

“Forgive me but you’re saying you’re _not_ Loki?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Ki?” Morgan asked.

He placed a finger over her lips. “Not right now sweetie.”

She frowned and looked up at the two behind the counter. Her gaze moved back and forth between them all. Her eyes suddenly widened in excitement. “Ki’s a ‘venger,” she said to them, pushing Loki’s fingers away. “Just like daddy and T’or. Maybe they want your um…” She moved her hand as if she were writing in the air. “That thingy where you write your name for people.”

“An autograph?” the manager asked.

“Yeah!”

“Morgan, now isn’t the time,” Loki said with a slight wince.

“But Ki—”

Loki knelt down and put his hands on Morgan’s shoulders. Softly he said, “Morgan I promise to try and explain later but for right now you need to not tell everyone my name.”

“How come?”

“I’ll try and explain that later too.”

She gave him that narrowed eye stare that distinctly said one, he’d better explain and two, she didn’t quite believe him. Sometimes Morgan was much too smart for her own good.

Standing back up, he tried to pay for the gas and other items but the manager refused his money. Loki left some money on the counter anyway and left, then put Morgan back in the car. He went to pump the gas only to see that the first employee he’d met was running out towards him.

“I’ll do that for you sire.”

Loki stopped the kid before he could reach the pump. “It’s all right,” he glanced at the kid’s nametag, “Ryan. Really, I can do this myself. I prefer it actually.”

The kid blinked at him, his expression equal parts confused and relieved. “If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Okay.” The kid headed back inside but turned around when he was halfway across the parking lot. “You know,” Ryan called back, “you’re a lot nicer than everyone’s been saying.”

Loki wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. “Thanks.”

Ryan waved then returned inside. Loki shook his head and pumped the gas. He was relieved when he was finally back in the car and they were on their way again.

“Ki,” Morgan said a few minutes later, “why don’t you want anyone to know you is you?”

Loki sighed and took a minute to think about his answer. “Something bad has happened here. I don’t know exactly what but… everyone thinks I was the bad guy.”

Morgan gasped. “But you’re not a bad guy Ki.” She folded her arms across her chest and scowled at the glove box. “That’s not fair. You isn’t a bad guy. I don’t like it.”

He didn’t either but he needed more information before he could figure out _why_ he was suddenly ruler of Midgard. He also needed to figure out how they had ended up fourteen years in the past and how to get them home. Maybe the Time Stone could help but it was currently in New York City and he wasn’t going back there until after he found out what had happened to his brother and Tony. So many questions and so few answers.

They drove in relative silence for a while longer. Music played quietly from his phone. Morgan slumped against his side, sleeping in a position that didn’t look in any way comfortable. Exhaustion began to creep up on him again. Loki pulled off at the first decent hotel he spotted that had a vacancy. He cast a glamour over himself before he went inside. He didn’t want a repeat of the convenience store.

Morgan remained sleeping the whole time it took for him to get them a room. Once inside he locked and warded the room, dropped his glamour and practically collapsed on the nearest bed. Loki had no idea how long he’d been awake but it was getting harder to keep his eyes open. He removed Morgan’s boots and jeans then tucked her under the covers.

Removing his own boots, he curled up beside her. He just needed to rest his eyes for a bit then he’d start trying to figure out what the Hel was going on. That had been his plan; turns out his body had other ideas as he fell into a deep sleep within moments of his head hitting the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to stop with the _Supernatural_ references. 😅


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki & Morgan continue their journey west. The Avengers aren’t quite sure what to make of what they see. Once again, Morgan's cuteness knows no bounds!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since their relationship is still relatively new, this Thor refers to everyone by their last name. It will also make it easier to distinguish between the two realities later on.
> 
> Also, I've decided to post the updates on Saturday's for the time being. After the long work week, it's nice to just sit back and chill with a good story... I'm hoping this turns out to be a good story. I think it is so far but I may be just a bit partial. 
> 
> Speaking of, this one is already over 30k and I still have a few chapters and an epilogue to complete. At the rate this is going, it might clock in somewhere around 50-60k once it's finished. 😅

**_Three_ **

The little bud in his ear that allowed Thor to remain in contact with his allies was quite annoying. He was still getting used to the idea of speaking to them from a distance. When he’d first learned that his brother had finally resurfaced, Thor’s first instinct was to fly straight to him. He was still angry with Fury for demanding they not make any contact.

At his side, Stark made some adjustments to the device in his hands. A cellphone if memory served, though with Stark it was much more than that.

_“We’re at the hotel,”_ Romanov’s voice came to him through the earbud.

“Remember, dad said don’t engage him,” Stark said.

Looking over the other man’s shoulder, Thor saw an image appear on the screen. The outer façade of the hotel was in fair condition from what Thor could see. There was a large black vehicle parked outside one of the suites. Whatever was providing them with the image moved closer to the room.

Thor just barely caught the light shimmer of green. “Wait,” he said. “Don’t go any closer.”

_“Why not?”_ Barton growled.

“Loki has the room warded.”

“He has the room what now?” Stark asked.

“It’s warded. It’s something he started doing when we were still children. He’s using his seiðr to protect the room. He will be instantly alerted to your presence even if you try to sneak in.”

_“We weren’t planning on going inside,”_ Romanov said. _“At the most spying through the window.”_

Thor shook his head then remembered the others couldn’t see him. “He’ll have those warded as well.”

_“Any ideas then?”_ Barton asked. _“He has a kid with him. God only knows what he’s doing to her.”_

Thor didn’t like what the other man was implying. “Loki isn’t like that,” he growled.

_“Look, we don’t know_ what’s _going on,”_ said Romanov _. “We’re here for recon and that’s what we’re going to do. However if Loki_ is _harming the child we will engage him.”_

_“Just being with him puts her in danger,”_ argued Barton.

“Um…” Stark’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “I’m… alright, now I’m confused.”

“What?” they all asked.

Stark turned the screen so Thor could see clearer. Whatever was sending them the images had positioned itself outside one of the windows and they could see the figures on the bed from the small opening in the curtains. Both looked to be sleeping and to Thor, Loki appeared to be keeping the child in a protective hold. They watched as the child rolled over, poked Loki, and then curled up against his chest.

Stark was the first to break the silence. “Does your brother have kids?”

“No,” replied Thor.

_“What are you guys talking about?”_ Barton demanded. On the edge of the screen, he and Romanov appeared as they peered into the room. Barton’s jaw dropped. _“What the hell?”_

Thor ignored all of them as he focused on his brother. He’d forgotten just how young he and his brother still were. He drank in the sight of his brother. Loki looked _healthy_. He looked like the brother Thor remembered, not the twisted creature who had come to Midgard with designs of taking over the realm. This did not appear to be the same Loki which had helped to perpetrate mass murder. Thor knew it was too good to be true though. His brother’s imagined slights had led him to become something which could not be saved, as much as Thor wished otherwise.

Barton and Romanov disappeared from view. _“We’ll hang around here and keep an eye on them. Wherever Loki’s going hopefully he’ll lead us to the scepter. If we can break its influence on Dr. Selvig and the others there may be a way to prevent more of these aliens from coming here. Maybe even take the fight to them.”_

“We know he’s searching for something else,” Stark said. “If we could just figure out what that was and get to it before he does, we may be able to use whatever he’s looking for against him. It still doesn’t explain the kid though.”

_“Unless the child is the key to whatever he’s looking for,”_ Romanov suggested.

_“Which would be what? Ransom?”_ Barton asked.

Stark pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a harsh breath. “Look, we’re spinning our wheels here. We don’t know where Loki is going or why he has a kid with him. He’s dressed like he’s from Earth and, hell, _he’s driving a car!_ Something is up and until we can figure out exactly what that is, we can’t do anything that’ll put that kid in danger.”

Thor had to agree with Stark. As much as he wanted to confront his brother, he refused to endanger an innocent child. _What are you planning brother?_ he wondered. _What are you after?_

* * *

Something warm and wet was causing the fabric of his shirt to cling to his chest. Loki blinked his eyes open to discover what it was. Morgan lay against his chest breathing through her open mouth and currently drooling all over him. He pressed a kiss to her head and removed the drool with a quick flash of seiðr. He carefully extracted himself from beneath her and tucked her back under the covers. Morgan’s face scrunched up in displeasure and he was quick to reassure her he wasn’t going anywhere and lulled her back to sleep. He went to the bathroom to relieve himself and to splash some water on his face.

He returned from the bathroom and glanced at the windows. From the fading light, he realized the sun was making its descent over the horizon. Loki brought forth the newspaper he’d taken the day before and sat against the headboard, running his fingers through Morgan’s hair. He’d need to get them more supplies before they continued on their trip. Morgan needed a bath and a change of clothes. Both of them needed something besides water and potato chips for sustenance.

He set the newspaper down in his lap and reread the headline. He felt sickened by it. How could this have happened? Was this… Did this have anything to do with their traveling through time for the Infinity Stones? Was this the consequences of those actions?

Loki read the article, having a hard time wrapping his head around what he was reading. The Avengers had been defeated by the Chitarui and with no other way for the world militaries to fight back, the governments had all surrendered. The article did not make it clear on how the Avengers lost or where they were now. From what Loki was able to parse out, they _had_ survived. That was good, at least.

Putting the paper to the side, Loki took out his phone and began to browse the internet for more answers. The more he read, the more shock and fear gripped his chest. His phone fell from loose fingers when he came across another article.

_ALIEN FORCES GATHER HALF OF WORLD POPULATION AT RANDOM. VICTIMS OF ABDUCTION MURDERED BY THANOS OF TITAN._

Thanos had come here and murdered half of Midgard. How? Why? Well, he knew why. Thanos believed mass murder was a way to bring about an unobtainable balance. Truthfully, Loki believed all Thanos really wanted was unmitigated destruction. That _creature_ only claimed to want balance as a means to make himself seem less evil, at least to his own eyes.

Loki picked his phone back up again and opened a new search window. Knowing that F.R.I.D.A.Y. was monitoring him, he typed: _Thor? Tony?_ and waited for a response.

Another window opened up and words began to scroll across it. _Still gathering information. I will attempt to make contact with the Boss’s mainframe. Last known address for the Boss was Malibu California. No word on Thor or any of the other Avengers._

Loki blew out a small breath of relief. There was no confirmation that either his friend or brother were dead. There was no confirmation that they were alive either but he would take what he could get. Clearing his previous query, he wrote: _Pepper?_

He lowered the phone and gazed out the window while he waited for F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s response. He would need to rouse Morgan soon and get something for them to eat. Maybe he could find a department store nearby to get more clothes for them and some toiletries. Loki still had access to his dimensional pocket so he needn’t worry about having to carry too much. He was a little confused as to why he still had access to his pocket, especially if they had traveled through time. Then again, his dimensional pocket sat _outside_ space/time and was attached to him. He rubbed at his temples, just thinking about that gave him a headache.

His phone vibrated and he looked down to see that F.R.I.D.A.Y. had replied to his inquiry.

_Mrs. Stark appears to still be running Stark Industries. She has been seen at_ Stark Industries Headquarters _in Los Angeles._

Well, that was a start. If he couldn’t find Tony or if the man was too far underground for him to even attempt doing so, then Pepper would most likely have a means of contacting her husband. Future husband? Ugh, time travel made his head hurt!

Loki put his phone on the end table and shifted to lay back down. He let his gaze land on Morgan’s sleeping form. The people of Midgard feared and hated him now. Would simply being with him put Morgan in danger? Maybe he should find somewhere safe for her to stay. Did he honestly think he’d be able to leave her with someone? He knew the answer to that immediately. He would _never_ abandon Morgan. She trusted him too much for him to do that to her. He would also _never_ let anyone take their hatred of him out on her.

Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Perhaps the best course of action would be to contact SHIELD. He shook his head at the thought. If SHIELD were still around and Nick Fury in charge, they’d kill him before he ever got the chance to explain. What could he explain anyway? That he was from the future and had Tony and Pepper’s daughter with him. _Two thousand twelve_ , his mind reminded him. Tony and Pepper wouldn’t be married for another six years.

His resulting groan from his racing thoughts roused the four-year-old at his side. Morgan yawned and sat up groggily, her hair sticking up at wild angles. Loki couldn’t help himself, he took a picture. Morgan blinked at him and scooted closer until she was practically laying on him. “What are you doing?” Loki asked.

“You’re my pillow,” Morgan mumbled against his stomach.

“Oh I am, am I?”

Morgan nodded, “Uh huh.”

He ran his fingers through her hair and realized it was quite greasy. He grimaced slightly. “I think someone needs a bath.” He recalled seeing some small toiletries provided in the bathroom but he wasn’t sure they would be enough. They would have to do for now he supposed. “Let’s get you washed up, then I’ll get washed and then you and I can go find something to eat.”

Morgan cracked an eye. “Chicken nuggets and French fries?”

“If we can find someplace that has them, sure.”

Morgan shot up, her hands digging into his stomach and her knee coming precariously close into making him sing soprano. “Chicken nuggets and fries,” she exclaimed excitedly. “Chicken nuggets and fries!” She climbed over him and nearly fell off the bed in her haste to get to the bathroom. Loki caught her before she could face plant the floor and swung her up into his arms, spinning her around. Her laughter rang out through the room and she grabbed his knees when he let her dangle upside down from his arm. “Ki, we gotta hurries up. I wan’ nuggets and fries.”

“All right, all right.” Loki laughed. “Arms up,” he said, instructing her to put her hands on the floor so she could “walk” until he set her back down. He followed her into the bathroom. Morgan doing a little dance and singing, “chicken nuggets and French fries,” the whole way. Loki shook his head, smiling at her antics and began to fill the tub. He helped her bathe, taking the small bottles provided by the hotel to wash her hair. He let her play in the water for a bit while he used his seiðr to freshen her clothes. Once she was out and dressed, he found some cartoons for her to watch while he showered.

When he emerged from the bathroom, he found Morgan waiting for him at the end of the bed. “I’m hungry.”

As if to prove her point, her stomach growled. Loki felt his own rumble in agreement. After putting his boots on, they headed out for dinner. Loki found a little mom and pop diner a little ways down the road. It looked promising so he pulled in there. He’d thought about putting up a glamour but he didn’t want Morgan asking more questions. It was hard enough trying to explaining _why_ he needed to do that when he was still partly in the dark about his so-called victory as well.

They entered the diner, Morgan continuing her little song and dance as they went. They were greeted by an older woman who didn’t seem at all put off at his appearance. The smile she gave them actually appeared genuine. “Good evening,” the woman greeted. “Just two?”

“Yes,” Loki replied, feeling himself relax just the slightest.

“Follow me hon. I’ll get you a booster seat for the little one.”

“Thank you,” he replied as they followed her to a booth. The woman stepped away for a moment and when she returned she gave a Loki the booster seat for Morgan then menus were placed before them.

“My names Janice and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Sweet tea if you have it and,” he turned to Morgan, “what do you want to drink?”

“Soda?” Morgan asked hopefully.

“No.”

Morgan let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine.” She leaned against the tabletop. “Do you gotz chocolate milk?” she asked Janice.

“We sure do,” Janice replied.

“Can I get that?”

“Of course honey.” To Loki Janice said, “I’ll go get your drinks and give you a few minutes to look over the menu.”

“Thank you,” Loki replied. He looked over Morgan’s kids menu and saw they did in fact have chicken nuggets and fries. That made Morgan’s dinner easy. Now all he needed to do was figure out what he wanted.

Janice returned with their drinks and Loki placed their order. While they waited for their food to arrive he and Morgan colored on the back of her menu, even playing a few games of Tic Tac Toe. Morgan won of course.

Janice arrived with their meals and Morgan did a little happy dance in her seat. Loki thanked Janice once again then they both dug into their meals. They ate, their food tasting much better than Loki had expected. They’d apparently stumbled upon a unicorn as far as the diner was concerned. Loki was a little upset they wouldn’t be coming back.

Janice came to check on them and she chuckled softly. “Your daughter is absolutely adorable.”

“What?” Loki asked.

“Ki’s not my daddy,” Morgan said between bites.

“She’s my niece,” Loki explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry. She looks just like you,” Janice said.

Loki waved away her apology. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly it’ll be more ammunition I can use to rib her father.” Loki sobered. “We’re actually trying to find him and my brother. We haven’t been able to contact them.”

Janice winced slightly. “We’re they part of the uh… the Taken?”

“The Taken” must be what they called those murdered by Thanos. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

“Well I hope you find them.”

“Me too.”

Janice left them and they finished their meals. After paying and leaving Janice a nice tip, they headed out again. Loki found a department store where he picked them up a few outfits, toiletries and any other supplies they may need.

They finally got back on the road once they finished at the store. They drove for a while before Loki pulled off at a rest area for a few hours of sleep. In the morning they headed on their way again.

Though Loki tried to convince himself otherwise, he’d noticed rather quickly they were being followed. It unnerved him not knowing who was after them. He would keep an eye on their followers and if they did anything to endanger Morgan then they had better pray to whatever god they believed in because Loki would show them no mercy.

* * *

“What’s the status?” Fury asked.

“Barton and Romanov are still tailing them but we still don’t have any idea what he’s after or where he’s going,” Rogers replied. “Besides west.”

Thor looked around at the small gathering, which included Fury, Hill and the remaining Avengers. His gaze returned to the video of his brother leaving a store with a cart full of supplies, the little girl skipping happily at his side. Up until a year ago, Thor would have said he knew his brother but now… he had no idea what to make of Loki’s actions.

“Any fatalities?”

“No,” Stark replied. “It actually looks like he’s trying to avoid any kind of conflict. They’ve been to a hotel, a couple of diners, gas stations and the department store. Whenever anyone recognizes him and tries to basically give him anything he wants, he balks.”

“That doesn’t sound at all like the Loki we’ve encountered.”

“Are we absolutely sure he _is_ Loki?” Hill asked.

It was Thor that answered, “Yes. I know my brother. His use of seiðr confirms it too.”

“His use of what?” asked Fury.

“Seiðr, you would call it magic.”

Fury’s expression clearly showed his annoyance. “What about the scepter? Any sign of that?”

“None so far,” which surprised Thor a bit. Ever since his arrival on Midgard, Loki had kept the scepter on him at all times. It was strange that he was not carrying it now. Then again, “The scepter may still be on his person. Loki has the ability to change not just his own form but the forms of others as well.”

The others in the group exchanged looks. “The child?” Banner asked.

“You don’t honestly think he turned the scepter into a child, do you?” asked Rogers.

“It kinda makes sense,” Stark said. “I mean, he hadn’t let it out of his sight the first times we saw him. He knows we’re looking for both of them. It still doesn’t explain,” he waved at the screen, “that.”

“Continue to keep an eye on him,” Fury instructed. “For now, we’ll assume the girl is a human child. We’ll give it a couple more days and if we have an opening to capture him, we take it.”

“If you want to confront my brother, I will be there,” Thor said.

“Maybe.”

“It is not up for debate. Loki is still my brother and I _will_ be there.”

Fury narrowed his single eye but Thor refused to be intimidated. After a moment of intense silence, Fury relented. “Fine. When the time comes to confront Loki, you’ll be there.”

Thor nodded, good.

“It looks like Loki has a cellphone,” Stark said, gaining everyone’s attention again. “JARVIS is trying to hack it to get more information. I don’t know why but so far he’s not having any luck.”

“Keep at it,” Fury instructed. “We’ll get the bastard soon.”

Thor clenched his fist, not liking his brother described in such a way. He turned his gaze back to the screen. _Soon,_ he thought, _I will see you soon brother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't get the image of Morgan doing an excited little dance out of my head. Is it sad that I giggle to think of her shaking her little booty while singing "chicken nuggets and French fries"?


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony, Jane, and Erik try to figure out what happened to Loki & Morgan while Thor does what little he can to help. Along their way to Malibu, Loki & Morgan go camping and Loki uses his mistaken identity to his advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To try to make it slightly less confusing, Stark is Tony from 2012 while Tony is obviously Tony from 2024. The same goes for the other Avengers, those in the past will be referred to by their last name, except for Thor. I’m also using the years now to show which period/dimension they’re in. I’ve previously tagged both Time Travel and Alternate Dimension though I’m not sure time travel is accurate. While they are in 2012 that happens to be the current year of that dimension. Thoughts?

**_Four_ **

_2024_

“Loki!” Thor screamed. “Morgan!”

Thor ran towards the stage where the devices sat smoking. There was no sign of either his brother or niece. He could hear Tony calling for his daughter along with the others letting out cries of panic.

Thor scrambled onto the stage, fearing the worst. While there was smoke and parts of the floor were charred, there were no bodies. Thor didn’t know whether or not to be relieved by that.

“Oh my god!” Jane cried. “Are they okay?”

“They’re not here,” Thor said. He cast his gaze around the stage on the chance they had been able to escape. Maybe Loki _had_ managed to teleport them away. He pulled out his phone and tried calling Loki but with no success. “His phone isn’t working.”

Tony climbed onto the stage too, with Jane and Erik right behind. “Then where the hell are they?” Tony demanded. He spun on the other two scientists, glaring. “Where is my daughter?”

“I don’t… I don’t know,” Jane sputtered. “I don’t know what happened. The wormhole should never have destabilized.”

“Well it did.”

“That isn’t possible,” Erik said.

“I don’t care what you think _isn’t_ possible,” Tony growled. “My daughter and friend are gone. _Something_ with your machine went wrong.”

Jane stepped up to one of the machines and began tapping on the keyboard. Thor watched as, surprisingly, the screen light up. “Should you do that?” he asked.

“There’s no danger now and I’ll need to run a full diagnostic to see what went wrong,” Jane replied, not taking her gaze from the data displayed before her.

Tony pressed something against the machine. He put another one on the second. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. download all the data and begin scanning for the malfunction.”

_“Right away Boss,”_ replied the AI.

“What are you doing to my machines?” Jane asked.

“Trying to figure out where you screwed up,” Tony growled. “I swear, if anything, _anything_ happened to Morgan, so help me—”

“Are you threatening her?” Erik interrupted.

“You’re damn right I’m threatening her,” Tony yelled at the other man.

Thor stepped between them. “Arguing isn’t doing any good.” He turned to Tony, “Can F.R.I.D.A.Y. track Loki’s phone?”

_“I am unable to locate Mr. Loki’s phone,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied. _“I cannot track his armor either. The portion of my programming that is imbedded within it is missing.”_

“It’s going to take some time to go through the data,” Jane said.

Tony cocked an eyebrow then scrubbed his hands down his face. “What the hell am I going to tell Pepper?”

“We’ll find them,” Thor said, putting more conviction in his voice than he actually felt. “That’s what you’ll tell her. We don’t know where Loki and Morgan are right now but we _will_ find them.”

Tony nodded. “Right, you’re right. Speculating isn’t going to do me any good.” There was a soft pinging sound and Tony retrieved what he had attached to the devices. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. will analyze the data and hopefully figure out where you screwed up.”

Erik scowled at Tony’s words but didn’t reply to that. Instead, he said, “We should remove the devices from their power source.”

“Good idea,” Jane said. She and Erik proceeded to do just that.

Much of the wiring was charred and melted from what Thor could tell. “I can return to Asgard,” he said to Tony. “Heimdall might be able to find them.”

“Right,” Tony said absently, “all-seeing gatekeeper and all. God, I hope he can.”

So did Thor. “I’ll return shortly.” He left them and prayed to the Norns that Loki and Morgan would be found, safe and hale, soon. His stomach sank at the thought of what would happen should the worst have befallen his brother and niece.

* * *

_2012_

Their travel continued; the time it took to get from New York to California taking much longer than Loki would have liked. Whoever their followers were, they remained far enough behind and Loki knew he would be able to evade them if it came down to it.

Morgan attempted to color, though with the slightly rough road it was hard for her to stay within the lines. She closed her coloring book and set it to the side. “How much longer are we gonna drive Ki?” she asked.

They had been on the road for quite a while. “We can stop soon,” Loki replied. They would have to stop for the night soon as it was. “We’ll get something for dinner and then find a place to stay for the night.

“I wanna go home.”

Loki sighed, “So do I sweetheart.” He bit his lip and checked behind them before changing lanes. “We can’t right now though. We need to try and find Thor and your daddy.” He’d tried contacting them again and F.R.I.D.A.Y. had continued to scan the internet for any information on them but so far the AI hadn’t found anything.

“Another ‘tel?”

Loki took a moment to answer as he navigated through the highway traffic. “We will need to find a motel at some point because _someone_ needs a bath but we can do that tomorrow night.” The weather had been holding out and it had been rather warm. “Would you like to sleep outside tonight? It can be an adventure.”

“Sleep outside?”

“Yes, we’ll camp out. We’ll build a campfire, roast some meat over it—”

“Hotdogs?”

“Sure. I’ll even try and find some marshmallows.”

Morgan fist pumped the air, “yes!” Morgan began to bounce in her seat in excitement.

As the sun was beginning to set, he pulled off the highway and found a store to get what they would need then drove until he found a campsite. He had Morgan “guard” their food while he set up their tent and started a fire. He placed a spell around the fire to keep it going while also ensuring that it wouldn’t spread during the night.

After eating a dinner of hotdogs and potato chips with desert of roasted marshmallows, they lay on a blanket Loki had spread out on the ground. It was a cloudless night and they were far enough from any towns that light pollution didn’t block out the starry sky. Loki pointed out what constellations he could.

“Ki,” Morgan asked, “how’d you learn to do this?”

“Camp?” Loki asked and Morgan nodded. “Well, Thor and I went on quite a lot of adventures when we were young. We camped out whenever we could not find lodging.”

Morgan looked up at him from where she had tucked herself against his side. “Is that what we is doing now? Going on a ‘venture?”

“That is exactly what we are doing,” Loki replied.

“Cool. Ki, can you tell me a story?”

“Which one would you like to hear?”

She grinned at him and Loki let his head fall back. “The wedding story? Again?”

“It’s funny,” giggled Morgan.

Loki rolled onto his side, Morgan still tucked against him. “There are other stories from our youth that are funny too. Like the time Thor wrestled a cat.”

“T’or wrestled a kitty?”

“Yes,” Loki said, grinning conspiratorially, “and he lost.”

Morgan gasped, eyes wide with excitement, “Tell me.”

“It all started with a trip to Vanaheim…”

Loki told Morgan the story, accompanying his words with images created by his seiðr. He told of how they met with Utgard-Loki and how the “giant” had challenged them to several contests and how in the end none of the challenges had been fair as they were representations of various elements and ideas. He did, however, over embellish Thor’s loss to a house cat. He’d have to remember to add that story to the book of stories he’d created and given to her at Christmas.

Once he’d finished that story he did retell the story of Thor’s wedding. By the end of it, Morgan had nearly fallen asleep. Loki carefully picked her up and carried her into the tent where he tucked her into her sleeping bag.

His whole body went tight in alert when he heard a branch snap. Climbing from the tent, he zipped and warded it then manifested his daggers. His eyes scanned the area, the moonlight helping him to see a little better. He did a circuit around their campsite looking for anything that didn’t belong. Nothing appeared out of place and he slowly extended his search area while still keeping the tent within sight.

Another branch snapped and Loki spun around, dagger at the ready only to find a deer peering at him from the edge of the woods. Loki’s whole body sagged in relief. He straightened and the deer, spooked, ran back into the woods. Loki did another patrol around the area just to be certain they were alone. While he _knew_ they were being followed whoever his followers were hadn’t engaged them yet and he hoped it would remain that way. That was the reason why he’d created his wards to attack anyone who came too close. Morgan’s safety was his highest priority.

Returning to the tent, he checked on Morgan first. How anyone could sprawl inside of a sleeping bag was a mystery to Loki and yet somehow Morgan managed. Shaking his head, he crawled into his own sleeping bag and closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax, if only for a few hours. Secure in the knowledge that if his wards were breached, he’d be able to whisk himself and Morgan to safety before anyone ever reached the tent.

* * *

_2024_

The days passed with a slowness that seemed just as excruciating to Thor as it was to Tony and Pepper. Tony had explained to his wife, to the best of his ability, what had happened at the conference. Thor’s trip to Asgard hadn’t resulted in any new information other than that Heimdall was unable to see either Loki or Morgan. As far as the Gatekeeper could tell, they were not anywhere within the branches of Yggdrasil.

He’d relayed what Heimdall had told him. It reminded Thor of when Loki had fallen into the Void. Heimdall hadn’t been able to see him then either. He knew that if Loki were able, he would return to Midgard, Morgan in tow.

_“I think I may have found something Boss,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, breaking into Thor’s thoughts.

Tony sat up from where he lay against the workbench. He’d had Jane’s devices moved to the Avengers facility to better (and safely) analyze them. He, Jane and Erik had been working around the clock to figure out what exactly had happened. So far, all they had were guesses.

“What’cha got?” asked Tony.

Thor stepped closer and so did Erik and Jane. A holographic display formed, flowing with information that meant nothing to Thor. The scientific equations sped by much too fast for Thor to follow as it was.

Tony’s eyes darted back and forth, as he absorbed the data. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. slow down.” The flow of information did slow and Tony’s expression became a mixture of confusion, horror and anger. He turned to Jane. “How much information from the Tesseract did you use?”

“It was an immense source of power,” Jane replied. “There was also everything Erik learned while under the influence of the scepter.”

“What else did you use?”

“There was also the data from whenever the Einstein-Rosen Bridge was activated to and from Asgard.”

“It’s called Bifröst,” Thor reminded her, perhaps a tad petulantly. Emotions of late were like a powder keg, ready to go off at the simplest trigger.

“Plus the Convergence,” Erik added.

Tony pointed to a string of data. “Is that what this is?”

Erik and Jane read what Tony pointed to. “Yes,” Erik replied.

Tony’s face was slowly becoming red as anger built up in him. Thor could practically see steam coming out the man’s ears. “And did you take the ARC reactor into account before you hooked your _untested_ devices up to it?”

Jane and Erik exchanged looks. “Uh…” Jane said.

“God damn it!” Tony yelled, slamming his fist on the table. “You used multiple references from objects that not only create pathways through space/time but also something that technically warps reality too, _and_ hooked it up to the largest power source in the world? Which, by the way, was developed from researching the Tesseract!”

Jane had the decency to look sheepish. “Yes.”

Tony took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. “From what F.R.I.D.A.Y. was able to extrapolate, your wormholes arched because they were too close together. Even with your GPS attached to them, they were practically in the same space. They never should have been, add to that the power from the ARC reactor running through cables that couldn’t handle that kind of power for an extended period of time and you ended up with the perfect recipe for disaster. It’s amazing you didn’t rip a permanent hole in reality.”

“Then what happened?” Thor asked.

“The devices weren’t designed to do something like that,” Erik threw in before Thor’s question could be answered.

“Shouldn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t but it did,” Tony snapped. “There’s also an energy signature that was captured just before the machines blew. I’m not entirely certain but… I think the machines may have captured Loki teleporting.”

Thor’s eyes widened and he stepped closer to the hologram. “Where?”

The data changed into a chart, which represented fluctuation in power. There was a large spike in energy only milliseconds before the machines had overloaded. Another grid appeared and overlaid the first. The energy signature was similar, though not identical, to the last spike.

“No,” Jane said suddenly. “No, what you’re suggesting is impossible.”

“Riding a beam of light to travel from one world to the next should be impossible too but we’ve done it. You call the Bifröst an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, which, if it actually was, would go against _everything_ we know about wormholes as the Bifröst allows for travel in both directions simultaneously. Wormholes don’t work that way. Tag that on with the data taken from the Convergence and there is no other logical explanation.”

“Would one of you please explain what you’re talking about?” demanded Thor.

Tony sighed. “The reason Heimdall can’t find them isn’t because they’re outside of Yggdrasil. It’s because they’re outside this dimension.”

* * *

_2012_

In the morning, Loki packed up their camp and they set off for California once more. After breakfast at another diner that had surprisingly wonderful food, they took to the highway once again. During their travels, Loki had been keeping an eye out for the Chitauri, among other things, but so far, the only places he had seen them were in major cities. Which meant they were probably in and around Los Angeles.

They continued to travel for another day when they finally passed into California. It was just as they were passing around San Bernardino that traffic began to slow. They crept along every now and again but after an hour of start and stop traffic, they finally came to a halt.

Morgan tried to push herself up in her booster seat to see better over the dashboard. “Why we stopped Ki?”

“I don’t know,” Loki said, placing the car in park and shutting it off. People ahead of them were leaving their vehicles and he could hear people yelling in the distance. He stepped out of the car and stood on the doorframe for a better look but it was just people and stopped cars for as far as he could see.

A shadow fell over them all and when Loki glanced upwards, he saw a Leviathan floating overhead. It didn’t appear to be on the attack, more patrolling the area. People in the vehicles around them were beginning to leave their cars as well, all curious as to what was causing the traffic jam.

The driver of the vehicle ahead of him shouted, “What the hell’s the hold up?”

Voices grew louder as questions began flying up and down the roadway. Finally Loki heard someone else shout, “They’re diverting everyone to San Bernardino.”

“What the hell for?” the first driver yell back.

“I have no friggin clue,” the second person yelled. “Our _Supreme Overlord_ is looking for something. Dumbass probably thinks he’ll find it by sending everyone into the cities.”

“Or else he’s gonna kill everyone again,” the first man growled. The man turned around to face Loki. “Do you believe this shit?” The man did a double take and all color drained from his face. _“Fuck!”_

Loki raised an eyebrow. He had a pretty good idea of what his other (past?) self was looking for. Loki knew where the Time Stone was. Hel, he knew where all of the Stones were or would be but he wasn’t about to tell anyone else that.

“Would you please watch your language,” Loki said, “there are children present.”

The man sputtered. “I didn’t… I mean… I uh…”

Loki rolled his eyes and leaned back into the Impala. He helped Morgan out of her seat and pulled her from the car, keeping her perched on his hip as he secured the vehicle. He walked past the other man, ignoring his gaping and groveling for forgiveness. The further he walked the more the people seemed to recognize him and fear permeated the air.

Loki refused to show that their behavior bothered him. He teleported them further up the road in little hops until he could see where the congestion began. He set Morgan on her feet and bent so he could talk to her without anyone else overhearing. “I need you to stay quiet sweetie. I’m gonna pretend to be the bad guy everyone thinks I am for a few minutes.”

“Why?” Morgan asked.

Loki glanced around. “It’s the only way to keep these people safe and also to get the cars moving again.

Morgan narrowed her eyes at him, a look of extreme displeasure on her face. “I don’ like it.”

“I don’t either but another reason I need you to stay quiet is because I’m going to make it so that no one but I can see you.”

“You’re gonna make me invistable?”

“I am,” he pressed a finger to his lips. “Time to be quiet.”

Morgan mimicked zipping her lips. He took her hand and vanished her from everyone’s sight. As he did so, he manifested the armor he’d worn when he’d invaded Midgard all those years ago along with the illusion of the scepter. It would hide the fact that he held tight to Morgan’s hand. While _he_ could see her, no one else was able to.

“What is the meaning of this?” Loki demanded as he approached the patrol.

The humans in the area backed as far away as they were able at the sound of his voice. He felt Morgan’s hand tighten in his as they approached the group of Chitauri that appeared to be running this fiasco.

The Chitauri commander tittered, the sounds it made translated into English by the device implanted on its chest. _“Searching, per your command,”_ it said.

“Did my command include terrorizing these people?” Loki asked, sweeping his free arm behind him. He felt Morgan press herself against him and grip at his pant leg. “Or stopping their means of transportation?”

The foot soldiers glanced at each other and shifted nervously. _“No.”_

“Then leave. The item is not here. Continuing to search this area is a waste of time.”

_“The Master said—”_

“ _I_ am king here!” Loki yelled. “Your _master_ has no authority in _my_ Realm.” He manifested a solid simulacrum behind the commander at the same time he hid himself from view, grabbing the creature and wrenching its head back. “If you do not do as I command I will rip your cybernetics from your spine,” he hissed in the creature’s auditory receptor. “You think your master is cruel. You have _no_ idea what I am capable of.”

The Chitauri remained silent for a moment, the soldiers still shifting nervously. Finally, the commander replied, _“As you wish.”_

The simulacrum shoved the commander away. The Chitauri commander made a gesture and the creatures boarded their speeder and flew away.

Once they were out of sight Loki dropped the glamours and returned his clothing to normal. Picking Morgan up he turned to the gathered crowed. “Time to go.”

Stunned, the people watched him begin walking back the way he had come. “Uh… thanks,” someone said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Loki replied, “and really, you do need to leave. I don’t know how long it will be before they realize I’m not who they thought I was and that I just lied my butt off to get them out of here.”

“You’re not Loki?”

Loki sighed. Was there truly any point in denying it anymore? “That… is a difficult question to answer and one none of us have time to discuss. I wasn’t lying about them coming back. Once they realize I’m not Loki they _will_ come back. Leave, and spread the word to avoid this stretch of highway.” He made a shooing gesture. “Go.” He teleported back to the Impala before the people had a chance to ask more questions. He strapped Morgan back into her booster seat and started the car. “Are you all right sweetie?”

“Uh huh,” Morgan answered. “I’m thirsty.”

Loki reached into the back and grabbed a bottle of water for her. “I hope I didn’t scare you too badly, did I?”

Morgan laughed, rolling her eyes. “You scared the bad guys but you didn’t scare me. You was pretending, I know that.”

Loki was thankful she was able to rationalize his actions, as much as he never wanted her to see something like that. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a choice as he wasn’t about to leave her alone. He hadn’t entirely been pretending though, if it had come down to it, he would have carried out his threat against the Chitauri Commander.

It was only a short time later that traffic began to move again. Their route took them around San Bernadino. Loki wanted nothing to do with the city. He wasn’t about to risk running into more Chitauri or, Norns forbid, his past (alternate?) self. Loki took a breath and gave Morgan a reassuring smile. The sooner they arrived in Malibu the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know the tale with Utgard-Loki happened on Jötunheim but like with when I had Loki originally tell the wedding story this is taking place on Vanaheim since Jötunheim was off limits. I’ve also taken some creative liberties with the Chitauri and how they communicate. I tried to find out how their language worked but came up empty.
> 
> I’d written this chapter prior to writing _Make the Yuletide Gay_ but I didn’t want to write out Loki’s storytelling so that’s why he makes a mental note to add it to the book he made Morgan for Christmas.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki & Morgan finally reach Malibu. Their reunion with Thor and Tony doesn’t go quite as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gone back and modified this chapter I don't know how many times. I'd edit it, go back and read it and be like, nope, that needs to change. I think I'm finally satisfied with it now. God I hope so. Also, sorry in advance.

**_Five_ **

The rest of the drive went rather smoothly. After the fiasco outside San Bernadino, Loki decided to take an extra day to gather his thoughts and to allow him and Morgan some rest before they tried to track down either Tony or Pepper. However, with the way things had been going of late, they might have better luck with Pepper. Loki had no idea how to explain to Morgan that neither of her parents were her parents yet.

Loki had F.R.I.D.A.Y. check once again for any sign of Tony or Thor but the results of her search remained the same. Pepper’s location was much easier to track down. He decided to head to Tony’s last known address and wait for Pepper there. Less of a chance of making a scene than going to her place of work would probably cause.

They pulled up to a large house built on the side of a cliff. They both started at the outer façade for a few minutes. Loki helped Morgan from the car. “Mommy and daddy are here?” asked Morgan.

“I hope so,” Loki replied. He set her on the ground and took her hand. “Mommy should be here at least, if not then we can wait for her to get home. I still don’t know where daddy and Thor are.” He paused then knelt down to be eye level with her. “There’s something you need to try and understand sweetie, because of where we are and with things being so different, your mommy and daddy don’t remember that they are your mommy and daddy.”

“How come?”

Loki stood back up. “I wish I had the answer to that.”

They went up to the front door and Loki rang the doorbell. He wasn’t actually expecting an answer nor was he expecting for the door to open on its own. Feeling a sense of unease, they slowly entered the house. “Hello,” Loki called out. “Is anyone here?”

“Mommy,” Morgan called, “daddy?”

_“You are trespassing upon private property,”_ an accented male voice said. _“It would be within your best interests to leave now.”_

“I’m looking for Tony Stark or Pepper Potts,” Loki said to what had to be one of Tony’s previous AI’s.

_“What do you want with Mr. Stark?”_

Loki wished there was an actual person there. Talking to a machine did not allow him to read the room. “I only wish to speak with him and affirm his safety. I’m trying to find my brother as well. I, _we,_ need help.”

“I’m not going to argue with that.”

Loki looked around but saw no sign of Tony even though his voice rang out within the room. “Tony?”

“Yeah, no. We are _not_ on a first name basis.”

Right, this Tony wasn’t the same man Loki called a brother. He muttered a curse under his breath, in Asgardian so Morgan wouldn’t repeat it. This was not going how he had hoped. “I do not want any trouble. All I want to know is that you, Thor and Lady Potts are safe.”

There was silence and he and Morgan moved further into the house. She climbed up on the couch and leaned against the back to look out the large windows. “Ki, look. It’s pretty.”

He stepped up behind her and took in the view. “It is,” he agreed. He moved away and looked around the room again. Loki shook his head in disappointment. Neither Tony nor Pepper were here. He supposed he _could_ try the _Stark Industries Headquarters_ but he wasn’t sure he’d be successful there either but again, he wanted to avoid drawing attention to himself as much as possible.

While standing around here wasn’t doing any good, he was conflicted on their next move. Wait here or head to Los Angeles. He supposed the least they could do was find a place to stay. “Come on Morgan,” he said, turning back to her. “Let’s try—” Loki felt something slam into his back followed by a jolt of electricity. His muscles seized and he fell to the floor, hard.

“Ki?”

The sound of doors bursting open followed by several footsteps met his ears. Spots danced across his vision and he tried to speak. Loki berated himself. This had been a trap and he had walked right into it. He had to protect Morgan. “F-F-F…”

“Ki!” Morgan screamed as he writhed on the floor. She jumped from the couch only to be scooped up by someone before she reached him. Morgan struggled against her captor. “ _No!_ No, stop! Don’ hurt Ki! _Don’ hurt Ki!_ ”

Barton’s form entered Loki’s limited vision. “I’ve got the kid,” Barton yelled.

Loki rolled to his front, fighting against the electricity running through him as he tried to reach Morgan. He had to protect Morgan. His eyes watered as he struggled against the pain and his convulsing muscles. It felt like having one of those obedience discs planted on him and just like when Thor had put the disc on him back on Sakaar, Loki was near unable to move. Didn’t mean he gave up trying though.

“Let me go!” Morgan yelled. “Youz hurting Ki! Stop hurting Ki! Let me go!”

The electricity stopped and Loki’s breaths came in short bursts. Someone grabbed his shoulder and flipped him onto his back. Thor’s angered expression met his gaze. “Hello brother,” Thor said.

_“Ki!”_

_“F.R.I.D.A.Y.!”_ Loki screamed only a moment before the muzzle was slapped over his mouth. He struck out at Thor, managing to land a hit against his brother’s chest, knocking him back slightly.

The armor he had given to Morgan began to encase her body. She kicked and screamed and a jolt from the suit had Barton letting out a yelp. Barton somehow managed to keep his grip on Morgan, who continued to kick and scream in his grasp.

“Calm down kid,” Barton said, fighting to keep hold of Morgan as she squirmed. “You’re safe now.”

“Let go! Don’ hurt Ki! Ki! _Ki!_ ”

Barton suddenly let out a cry of pain and Loki heard Morgan fall to the floor. She ran over to them and began pushing at Thor. “T’or stop. You’re hurting Ki, don’ hurt Ki!” When that didn’t work, she beat her tiny fists against him. _“Stop hurting Ki!”_

Spots danced in Loki’s vision once more as electricity ran through him again. Thor grabbed his hands and bound them together. Vaguely, Loki heard another set of armor enter the room followed by the sound of a faceplate lifting. “Where’s the scepter Reindeer Games?”

“Daddy,” Morgan cried, twisting to face Tony. “Make T’or stop.”

“Daddy? Something you forgot to mention Stark?” Rogers asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” exclaimed Tony.

Loki moved his fingers, trying to communicate through sign. “What’s he doing?” asked Rogers.

“He’s signing,” Barton said, his voice confused.

“Stop it!” cried Morgan, tears streaming down her cheeks. She threw herself over Loki, trying to protect him. “Don’ hurt Ki. S-s-stop hurting Ki…” She kicked out at Thor.

Thor stepped back with a yelp after Morgan’s foot, strengthened by the armor she had on, kicked him in the face. Morgan clung to Loki and he tried to soothe her as best he could with no voice and limited movement of his arms. He was too out of it to try teleporting them away. He realized the sharp pain he’d felt in his back was from where the electrical barb had been embedded.

He signed quickly, knowing F.R.I.D.A.Y. would interpret what he was saying. It was simple enough; _Protect Morgan. These are not the people we know._ He began to convulse once more, his eyes rolling back in his head. Morgan screamed.

F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice drew the attention of the others. _“Understood Mr. Loki.”_

It was becoming harder and harder to breathe. The muzzle limited the amount of air Loki could get. His chest shuddered, his lungs seized and Loki was suddenly taken back to another time when breath refused to enter his lungs.

Loki’s throat constricted and he struggled against the giant hand wrapped around his throat. He glared into the purple bastard’s blue eyes.

_“You…_ ” Loki gasped, _“will never be… a god.”_ The fingers around his throat tightened until there was a resounding crack. That was the last thing Loki heard before darkness claimed him and his convulsions finally stopped.

* * *

The child continued to cry against his brother’s chest. She became even more frantic after Loki passed out. She screamed Loki’s name and the sound made Thor’s blood run cold. “Ki! Ki, wake up!” She shook him frantically. _“Wake up Ki!”_

The child was not the only shock to them. The armor, which had encased the child, began to spread out over Loki’s form as well. When complete, both Loki and the child were garbed in armor that resembled the armor Loki wore. It wasn’t exactly the same but it was similar. To his even greater surprise, the muzzle and shackles appeared to be disintegrating.

Thor, Rogers, Stark and Barton surrounded Loki’s prone form. “So, now what?” Barton asked.

“We take them back with us,” Rogers replied.

“Alright, uh, you plan on picking them up because that thing electrocuted me.” Barton looked pointedly at Stark and wiped away the blood that ran down his nose. “Where the hell did Loki get armor like that anyway?”

“Good question,” Stark said.

“It looks like it could be one of yours.”

“It’s not. I don’t have nanite technology, which is what that suit appears to be what it’s made from.”

_“I am the_ Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth _,”_ said a female voice, _“commonly referred to as_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. _I was implemented by Tony Stark after the loss of JARVIS. This suit was made by Mr. Stark for Mr. Loki.”_

“Excuse me?” Stark gaped.

_“Don’t worry Little Miss, Mr. Loki will wake shortly.”_

“Ki’s gonna wake up?” the child asked through her tears.

_“Yes, very soon.”_

“Why would you make Loki armor?” Rogers asked.

“I didn’t!” exclaimed Stark.

“What about the thingies T’or put on Ki?” the child asked.

_“Removal will be complete momentarily,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

“Is that something you should be arguing about right now?” Thor asked, watching as the muzzle and shackles continued to fall apart. The suit seemed to be absorbing the material. That was going to be a problem. “We still do not know where Loki has hidden the scepter nor what it is he’s now searching for.”

Loki groaned, the last of the muzzle disappearing as he slowly returned to consciousness. Thor placed Mjölnir on his stomach to prevent him from escaping. There was no way the suit would be able to break down the Uru.

This caused the child to tear up again. “T’or no, don’ hurt Ki.” She tried to push at the hammer to no avail. While it wiggled, much to Thor’s surprise, it was too heavy for her to move. “Get it off,” she cried, “ _get it off!_ ” She scowled up at him through her tears and beat her tiny fists against him again. She was surprisingly strong for a mortal child. “Stop being mean T’or.”

Loki’s eyes fluttered. “Morgan?” he slurred.

She spun back to Loki. “Ki, youz okay?” her little hands gripped Loki’s arm, while her eyes roved over his form. “You gotz boo-boos? I don’ see your boo-boos.”

Loki blinked several times as he returned to full consciousness. For a moment, he appeared confused by his surroundings. He tried to sit up, saw Mjölnir, and let his head drop back to the floor. “No boo-boos,” he assured the child. His gaze traveled around the room. He seemed to become more alert once he spotted the four of them. “Though I do have several pains in my butt,” he groused.

“Kissy make it better?”

Loki chuckled, his lips turning upwards slightly. The shackles broke apart and he wrapped an arm around Morgan who curled against his side tightly. “You are not kissing my butt.”

“Make T’or do it.”

“What?” Thor asked incredulously.

The child, Morgan, glared at him. “You was being mean and hurting Ki. You gotz to kiss his butt now.” She lifted her head and turned her glare to each of the others. “Youz all do.” Pointing to Stark she said, “You too daddy.”

“Kid, I’m not your dad,” Stark said.

“Yes you is,” she frowned. “Ki said you and mommy don’ ‘member.”

“If you will let me at least sit up,” Loki said, “I will explain why I was looking for you.”

“So you can escape?” Barton asked. “Not a chance asshole.”

A look of shock crossed Morgan’s face. “That’s a bad word!” she yelled at Barton. She pressed against Loki, shock returning once more to an angry glare. “Can I stab him?” Thor’s eyebrows shot up.

“Not in public,” Loki replied. He turned his head to look at Barton. “Why would I try and escape when I was purposefully seeking you out? I have been searching for you for over a week now. What would be the point of leaving when I’ve finally found you?”

“Fair point,” Rogers said. “Thor?”

Reluctantly, Thor removed Mjölnir. “If you try anything brother…” Thor warned.

Loki waved away his words as he sat up. “Yes, yes, you’ll beat me with your hammer.” He let out a soft oof when Morgan climbed into his lap, hugging his torso tightly. He ran his hands down her back in a reassuring manor. “I promise I’m all right sweetie.”

“They was hurting you Ki. I hated it,” Morgan said as she buried her face against his chest.

“So what’s with the kid?” Barton asked. “Where did you kidnap her from? What are you using her for?”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up and he seemed to grip just a little tighter to the child. “I didn’t _kidnap_ her,” Loki growled, “and I’m not _using_ her either. She’s my _niece_ and I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect her.”

“You got a kid Point Break?” Stark asked Thor.

“No,” Thor replied immediately. “However, she did call _you_ her father,” he pointed out.

“So what? Brainwash the kid for brownie points?” Barton asked. “Use her to gain sympathy with the people? Not quite sure I see how that’ll work.”

Loki sighed and he carefully stood, cradling the child against him. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He swayed and Thor thought he might faint. After a minute, Loki opened his eyes again and he seemed steadier on his feet.

“I’m not… Look, to answer your earlier question, I don’t know where the scepter is. I don’t have it, though I do believe I know what your Loki is looking for,” Loki said.

“Our Loki?” Stark asked.

“We are in no mood for your games brother,” Thor growled.

Loki blew out a breath, shaking his head and a look of frustration crossed his face. “I know you have no reason to believe me and, honestly, I’m sure you’d refuse to believe me even if I told you the sky was blue and grass is green but I am not the person you think I am. Yes, I am Loki but this,” he waved a hand around, “never happened. I _lost_ the Battle of New York.”

“Right,” Stark scoffed.

“Then how do you explain the Chitauri who still roam this Realm,” Thor demanded, “or the countless deaths at the hands of your _master_?”

“I can’t because I _don’t know_ ,” Loki said. “Morgan and I are not from this time. We’re from 2024.”

“That’s rich,” Barton scoffed. “First you say you’re not a mass murdering psychopath and now you’re trying to tell us you’re from the future? If you’re gonna lie, at least _try_ and make it believable. Not ‘oh no, _I_ didn’t commit mass murder’,” mocked Barton, “‘that was my evil twin’.”

“Knock it off,” Rogers said. “We don’t have time for this.”

  
Loki scowled. “What is it that angers you more?” Loki asked Barton. “Having been under the scepter’s influence or knowing that you _enjoyed_ it.” Barton stiffened, his face becoming red in his anger. “Perhaps what truly angers you is that you know what was done to me and that you sympathize. Our minds were linked Barton, you saw into my mind just as I saw into yours. You _know_ what Thanos and his _Children_ did to me,” he glared at the archer, “and you hate yourself for having felt sympathy and that unlike you, I _hated_ every moment I was unknowingly under the scepter’s influence. You _enjoyed_ it because you were _free_ of all your inhibitions. You say I controlled you,” Loki shook his head, “but no, you turn your hate to me because you can’t stand that you took pleasure in the freedom of not caring.”

With a yell of rage, Barton struck out. Loki stepped back and turned, placing himself between Barton and the child. Stark and Rogers grabbed Barton, pulling him away from Loki. “You lying son of a bitch!” roared Barton.

Morgan let out a cry of fright and began to sob. “Don’ hurt Ki!”

“Calm down,” Rogers ordered.

“Cap’s right,” Stark added, “we don’t have time for his.”

Thor cast his eyes back and forth between Barton and his brother. He could not see the purpose of Loki’s lies other than to rile Barton up. What were his motives? Was this another of Loki’s attempts to deny responsibility for his actions? It was entirely too late for such a thing.

Loki attempted to soothe Morgan by swaying gently. He whispered something in her ear and her sobs became sniffles.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. can you exchange information with Tony’s current AI?” Loki asked suddenly.

_“That should be possible Mr. Loki,”_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

_“Sir,”_ JARVIS said, _“the_ F.R.I.D.A.Y. _program contains your programming signature as does the suit surrounding Loki and the child.”_

Thor felt just as surprised as the rest of them at that. The AI’s words finally caused Barton to still. “Stark?” Thor asked.

“I swear, I didn’t build him anything,” Stark protested.

_“There is more Sir,”_ JARVIS said.

The television on the wall turned on and Thor, like the others, could only stare in shock at what it showed.

* * *

_Thor chased after Loki, who held Morgan in his arms. Morgan screamed whenever Thor got close and urged Loki to run faster. “I’m gonna get you!” Thor yelled._

_“Ki’ll save me!” Morgan yelled back._

_Loki stopped, spinning on his heel as he dropped Morgan and manifested a small sword for her. Morgan took it and began to swing it at Thor when he tried to grab her. Morgan “stabbed” him, Thor pressing the play sword under his arm and falling to the ground dramatically. Morgan bounced on his stomach, arms raised in victory. “I win!” she declared._

_Thor let out a roar, reaching out and snatching Morgan up. He stood and threw her over his shoulder, laughing manically as he ran around. “I live!” Thor cried._

_Morgan kicked her legs, one arm reaching out. “Save me Ki!” she yelled between fits of laughter._

_“Loki cannot save you,” Thor declared, stopping and striking a pose. “You are mine for ever and ever. I shall take you to my castle where you will be tortured in the worst of ways. The dreaded_ Tickle Torture! _”_

_“No!” Morgan yelled dramatically. “Not Tickle Torture! Ki! Save me!”_

* * *

_Snowballs flew through the air, back and forth between the two forts. Morgan stood and lobbed a snowball across the way and it landed directly on the side of Tony’s head. She ducked back down behind their fort. “I got you daddy!” she yelled._

_Tony’s armor spread out to cover him. “That’s a cheap shot! Enchanted snowballs are against the rules Merlin!”_

_“Not my fault your aim sucks!” Loki called back._

_“I’m not about to pelt my kid. You, on the other hand, are free game!”_

_“Feeling the love Tony!” Loki suddenly grabbed Morgan and they disappeared in a flash of green._

_Thor’s snowball landed in the empty space they’d previously occupied. “You were supposed to keep them distracted,” Thor yelled to his partner as he ran back to their fort._

_“Yeah, well, your brother and his mini-me are conspiring together,” he pointed a finger at Thor, “they shouldn’t be allowed to team up.”_

_More suits of armor began to aid Tony and Thor. Loki and Morgan reappeared behind their fort. Loki helped Morgan form a large snowball and she vanished, a wide grin on her face. While Thor and Tony huddled to work out a new plan, Loki peeked over the top of his fort. Suddenly, Thor shot up, letting out a completely unmanly cry as he began to bounce around_ _. “It’s going down my pants!” cried Thor._

_Tony laughed, not noticing the shimmer of green behind him. “Tough luck Point Bre-Ah!” Tony broke off in a scream, emerging from his suit and beginning to dance around too. “It’s cold! It’s cold! It’s cold!”_

_“You got daddy?” Morgan asked as she slid to a stop beside Loki._

_Loki grinned at her, “Yep.”_

_Morgan high-fived him. “Ki and I are winning!” she yelled to her father and uncle._

_“You and Loki are cheating!” Thor called back._

_“All’s fair in war and snowball fights!” Loki yelled._

* * *

_“Stop,” Pepper said. “Don’t move.”_

_Loki stopped in the middle of the living room and twisted around. “Why?”_

_Pepper pointed to where Tony held onto Morgan as she attempted to walk. Her little feet were still slightly uncoordinated but her eyes focused completely on Loki. Sucking on the fingers of one hand, she took a step, wobbled and fell on her butt. She removed her fingers and her face scrunched up in a scowl. Morgan shifted onto her front and began to crawl towards the younger Odinson._

_Loki turned around and waited as Morgan crawled up to him. She grabbed onto his pant leg and pulled herself up. Raising one arm up, she said, “Ki.”_

_“Nope,” Tony said, scooping Morgan back up. He set her on her feet beside the living room table. “You’ve already given Merlin your first word; you’re not going to walk to him first.” He moved a little more than arms distance away from her, “Come to daddy.”_

_“You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment Tony,” Thor said._

_Pepper took a seat beside him on the couch. “You’re surprised?”_

_“Not one bit.”_

_“I don’t need any wise cracking from the peanut gallery,” Tony said drily. Holding his arms out to Morgan again, he said, “Come on, come to daddy.”_

_“Five bucks says she walks to Loki,” Thor said._

_“I’m not even going to bother taking that bet,” Pepper replied._

_“I’ll take it,” Tony said._

_“Why? You’ll lose.”_

_“You’re supposed to support me.”_

_“And I do, but I also know when not to take stupid bets that I know I’ll lose.”_

_Morgan held on to the table. She looked back and forth between her father and uncle. Using the table as support, she began to move._

_“No Morgan, come to daddy. This way sweetie.”_

_Morgan reached the end of the table. She continued to move until she could no longer touch it with her hand. Slowly, and still a bit wobbly, she took a few tentative steps. Tony let out a groan of defeat when Morgan reached Loki, who scooped her up into his arms. “Great job baby girl,” Loki praised, “wonderful choice.”_

_“First word and now first steps,” Tony bemoaned. “Lost to Merlin.”_

_Loki’s triumphant grin had Tony throwing a pillow at him._

* * *

_Loki held Morgan in his arms, black cat ears protruded from his head. Green shimmered around Morgan and her dress turned into an outfit identical to what Loki wore._

 _Morgan gasped, her hands reaching up to touch the horns on the small helm she wore._ _“Look mommy, daddy. I gotz hornays like Ki!”_

* * *

_“There are dozens more videos along with thousands of pictures,”_ JARVIS said. _“The timestamps show them to be of events several years into the future.”_

“They could be fake,” Barton offered.

“What would be the point of that?” Loki asked.

“Try to convince us you’re good,” Barton’s voice was full of scorn. “Not that I buy it.”

“Ki is good,” Morgan defended, lifting her head to glare at Barton. “He’s not a bad guy. Ki’s a ‘venger.”

“Morgan,” Loki said softly.

“What?” she asked. “I don’ like them sayin’ all those mean things about you Ki. It’s not true.”

Loki sighed, feeling his chest tighten. “Sweetie, before you were born I did do some very bad things. I was a bad guy for a while.”

Morgan pulled back and shook her head in denial. “Nuh uh. Mommy and daddy said the Bad Man made you do it.” She poked at the collar of his shirt, sadness playing across her features. “The Bad Man hurted you a lot.”

Confused, Loki asked, “Why would they tell you that.”

“Because of what the mean lady said about how you was a monster and that you was gonna hurt T’or and she wanted you to die.” Tears welled in Morgan’s eyes again and ran down her cheeks. “Mommy and daddy said you had to do bad things so you could get safe but no one knewz you was hurt by the Bad Man and had to do the bad stuff. That’s why they said you was the bad guy but you wasn’t.”

“Mean lady?” Thor asked, “Bad Man?”

Loki wiped away Morgan’s tears, or he would have had the suit not been in the way. With a thought, the suit retracted from around their heads. Drying her eyes, he said, “Sif and Thanos.”

“Sif?” 

Loki hummed, “Yes, that meeting didn’t go over very well. Actually, you banished her from the palace afterwards.”

“I would never do that!” Thor protested.

“It’s honestly neither here nor there right now. We’re both different people in my time.”

“We’ll figure this out later,” Rogers said. “For now, you will be coming with us. We have more questions.”

“As do I, the first of which is; how did things change so drastically and the second is; how do Morgan and I return to where we belong?”

“You’re going to willingly come with us?” Stark asked skeptically.

“It’s the only way _I’ll_ get answers as well.”

The four Avengers exchanged looks, seeming to communicate silently. “You’ll need to turn over the scepter first,” Rogers said.

“I don’t have it but I might be able to help you find it.”

“Right,” Barton scoffed. “You haven’t let that thing out of your sight since you escaped the helicarrier.”

“Why would you help us now?” asked Rogers.

“I know what he has suffered. I know what Thanos did to him because I lived it.” To Thor, Loki asked, “Did you ever look at his eyes?”

“They’re blue,” Barton barked, “so what?”

“Loki’s eyes are green,” Thor said, confused.

“What?”

“Loki’s eyes are green,” Thor repeated matter-of-factly. “If you’re saying they’re blue…” Thor shook his head, brow furrowed in confusion. “The scepter?”

“Yes,” Loki replied. “When it held sway over me, I had no idea until long after it was taken from me. There were other things that helped me regain my mind but we won’t get into those right now.”

“Didn’t you tell us he can change his shape?” Barton said, gesturing to Loki. “It’d be just as likely that he’d change his eye color to make everyone think _he’s_ being mind controlled.”

“Except that the scepter would override that. Even in an altered shape,” Loki explained, his tone that of someone speaking to an obstinate child, “the power of the scepter would continue to show blue within the eyes. Besides, the blue within the eyes the scepter creates isn’t something I could form on my own. There was something… different about it.”

Barton scoffed and turned away, “Whatever.”

“You’re really willing to come with us?” Rogers asked again, returning to the subject at hand.

“Only if I have your word Morgan will not be harmed,” Loki replied.

“You have it,” Rogers said.

Loki nodded and adjusted Morgan on his hip. Turning back to his brother, he gestured towards the door. “Lead the way oaf.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an image of Morgan learning to walk that I couldn’t resist putting in here. Poor Tony, he’s going to have to get a “first” at some point. Maybe… :-D


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki & Morgan are taken to the Avengers new staging area. Morgan glares at anyone who even _looks_ at her Ki the wrong way. She’s not about to let anyone hurt him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last week, I've had to add an extra chapter so instead of 12 chapters and an epilogue we're at 13 chapters and an epilogue. With the way things are going, that might change again. Actually, it probably will change again. It should stay less than 20. I hope, especially since some of the chapters *cocks an eyebrow at 8 and 10* decided to take on lives of their own. Also, remember how I said this was probably going to end up being between 50-60K words? Yeah, we can throw that prediction out the window. 
> 
> I have to say, I was afraid Loki and Morgan's meeting with the Avengers was almost anti-climactic. I think I've been spoiled from hearing from my regular reviewers. Which, please, don't stop. I love hearing from everyone and discussing the story points. It's the highlight of my day. Thank you all for continuing to stick with me. And now I feel like that sounds as if I'm begging for reviews. *Points to corner* I'm just going to go over here for a while.
> 
> This weekend is going to be rough though, not story wise but personally, so I may not reply to comments in a timely manor. I'm going to try but I can't make any promises. This weekend is one of the reasons I decided to post my updates on Saturdays as apposed to Sundays because this Sunday... well... It'll be a year since I lost my grandma and yesterday would have been one year since I last spoke to her. She was my best friend and while she wouldn't have had a clue about the fandom, she would have had no problem listening to me gush about this series and telling her about all of the amazing people I've conversed with on here. 
> 
> I'm sorry, I don't mean to be depressing. Enjoy the chapter.

**_Six_ **

It was safe to say that Loki was not at all surprised there was a Quinjet waiting for them nearby nor that Romanov was piloting. What did surprise him was that it had been outfitted with stealth technology. He hadn’t realized they had placed such technology within the Quinjets back then.

They boarded the jet and Loki had a moment to wonder if this had been a good idea before he steeled himself. He and Morgan were still covered in his armor and if it came down to it, he could always teleport them away. He went to put Morgan in one of the seats but she only clung tighter to him.

Loki straightened, “You need to sit in the seat.”

Morgan shook her head, still buried against his neck. “No.”

“Morgan, you need to be buckled in while the jet is moving.”

Morgan’s arms rose to warp around his neck and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Her legs wrapped as far around his waist as they could reach. “No.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to win this fight, Loki simply took a seat instead. He adjusted his hold on Morgan so that her legs wouldn’t be squished behind him. “You’re not letting go of me anytime soon, are you?”

Again, Morgan shook her head. “What if they tries hurting you again?”

Loki saw the other four men wince slightly. He doubted any of them had expected to traumatize a child when they’d thought to capture him. “They won’t,” he reassured her. Loki held up his hand, “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is protecting us.” Morgan reached for the snake on her shirt but Loki stopped her. “I want you to keep it.”

Still seemingly unsatisfied, Morgan curled up in his lap, her face now pressed against his chest. She lifted her head slightly, poked at his chest and the nanites in the armor retracted enough so that she could lay her head back down against his shirt and not the nanites themselves.

Loki forced himself not to tense when Rogers sat beside him. Rogers went to pace his hand on Morgan’s back but stopped when Loki cocked an eyebrow at him. Dropping his hand, Rogers said, “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you.”

Morgan turned her head until a single brown eye could glare at the Captain. “You hurted Ki,” she said accusingly.

“Yes…” Rogers began tentatively, “we did and we regret that.” Barton scoffed and Rogers shot the other man a glare. “We were afraid Loki might hurt you.”

“Ki would never hurt me.”

“Yes, we can see that now.”

Barton went to the cockpit, anger still clear in his features. Stark appeared to still be working through the fact that he had a daughter in the future and Thor simply looked uncomfortable. Loki took a breath and let his gaze fall on them. “Would you two sit? Both of you look like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown.”

“How do I have a kid?” Stark asked.

“Simple,” Loki replied. “I’d explain the mechanics but I’m not about to face Pepper’s wrath for explaining _that_ around Morgan.”

Stark rolled his eyes, “That isn’t what I meant.”

“What happened while you were in the Void?” Thor asked suddenly.

Loki took a moment before replying. When he did, it was in Asgardian. _“I fell for what felt like an eternity. When I finally landed, it was upon a dilapidated world. I was captured by the Chitauri and brought before Thanos. When he asked where I was from, I declined to answer. He eventually discovered where I came from and that I could world-walk. He wanted me to bring him back within Yggdrasil’s branches but I refused to do so._

_“Thanos had me taken to his dungeons. His_ children _and a being simply known as ‘The Other' took turns torturing me. They used the scepter on me so many times that my memories began to alter. I started to believe the lies they were telling me. They kept at it until I gave in and finally agreed to do what Thanos wanted._

_“On the cliff side I told you that I remembered you tossing me into the abyss. That wasn’t a lie as far as I knew. At the time, I truly believed that was what happened. I—”_

A tiny hand covered Loki’s mouth. Morgan raised her head and squinted her eyes at him. “You’re talking funny again.”

Pulling her hand away from his mouth, he said, “It’s Asgardian, you know that. You’ve heard Thor and me speak our native language multiple times.”

Morgan lowered her head again. “Only normal talk Ki.”

“Have it your way squirt.” To Thor he said, “I’ll explain more later.”

The ride continued in silence. Loki had no idea where they were going. He only knew of a few SHIELD installations but he doubted they were heading to any of those. Especially since they would have technically been compromised from the brainwashing of various agents, Barton having been one of them.

The Quinjet was surprisingly smooth in its flight and Loki realized Morgan had fallen asleep against him. The strong emotions she had experienced earlier having sapped her strength. He brushed her hair back from her face. He would need to fix her hair as it had started to fall out of the braid he’d put it in. He’d worry about it later. Instead, he simply tightened his arms and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

“You truly care for her,” Thor remarked softly so as not to disturb her.

“Of course,” he replied, “she’s our niece.”

“It’s… strange.”

“How so? Not good with children?”

“Now _that_ is a lie. You’ve always enjoyed the company of children.”

“Well between you and the Idiots Four I’ve had quite a bit of practice.”

Thor’s lips quirked slightly. “I suppose you did but that isn’t what I meant. It’s strange to hear you call her ‘niece’ and know she is not my child.”

“Much has happened, or will happen, over the next decade. Not all of it pleasant.”

“But you come home.”

“Eventually.”

“Good. I may not know all that is happening or will happen but that knowledge helps.”

Loki was a little leery about Thor’s sudden change of heart. He’d have to keep an eye on that. “I hope it still comes about. With the way things have changed I can’t say they will.”

The Quinjet landed before Thor could say anything else. Loki felt his stomach twist as nervousness ran through him. For a moment, he feared they would try to take Morgan away from him. Loki had no fear for himself, he knew more about the current Avengers than they realized.

It was Rogers who came to him first, “We’re here. I do need to warn you that if you try anything we will be forced to take action.”

Loki stood, careful not to jostle Morgan. The longer she slept the better. “I would expect nothing less Captain; however you should know I will do whatever _I_ have to in order to keep Morgan safe.”

He followed them from the jet, the Avengers surrounding him with Rogers in the lead. Loki surreptitiously glanced around at his surroundings. At a guess, Loki thought they were underground though he had no idea how deep they were.

The walls were a bare slate gray and the florescent lights overhead were a bit too bright. Armed guards lined the hallways. Loki worried about what would happen if any of them decided to become trigger-happy. While he knew his armor was bulletproof, he didn’t know if, in the future, F.R.I.D.A.Y. would be able to cover Morgan in time.

He wished there was a safe place for Morgan to stay. One thing he hated the most was that he couldn’t trust any of the people he would come to know. As much as he wanted answers, he felt he might have made a poor decision. Especially when Fury’s voice rang out demanding, “Why the hell isn’t he restrained?”

Morgan flinched and Loki was quick to soothe her, lulling her back to sleep. He may have used his seiðr to help with that. She had suffered enough confrontation for the day.

“Things didn’t go exactly as planned,” Stark answered.

“No shit.” Fury motioned to the nearby guards. “Take the kid and cuff him.”

Rogers held his hands out and stepped in between Loki and the guards. “That won’t be necessary, Director.”

“I’ll decide what is and isn’t necessary,” Fury growled. “Restrain the fucker.”

Loki glared at Fury. The man must have been born an ass. The guards moved closer but never made it near him. He let out a burst of seiðr, pushing the guards back. Fury and Hill raised their weapons and Loki spun around putting himself between them and Morgan. He ordered the suit to encompass only Morgan. It retracted from around his form.

The familiar sound of Stark’s repulsors powering up reached his ears. “The hell’s wrong with you?” Stark demanded.

“You will lower your weapons,” growled Thor. “My brother came with us willingly on the condition the child not be harmed. We gave him that reassurance. I will not allow you to break our word.”

“You get yourselves brainwashed while you were gone?” Fury asked.

“He doesn’t have the scepter,” Barton answered, “and as much as I hate the guy,” he knocked an arrow, “I can’t have you pointing a gun at him while he’s holding a child. Some lines should never be crossed.”

Loki glanced behind himself to see Fury and the Avengers staring each other down. Loki realized he did have another option but he wasn’t quite sure he was willing to use it. Did he dare place Morgan within his dimensional pocket? She would be safe there to be sure but what if he were restrained to the point he could no longer use his seiðr? She would be trapped and honestly, he couldn’t do that to her.

“Am I interrupting something?” Banner asked, coming up the hallway.

“Nope,” Fury said, his eye never moving. “Loki was just about to hand over the child and _voluntarily_ be restrained.”

“Right,” Banner said, drawing out the ‘i’. “Anyway, uh, if that’s Loki then we have a problem.”

“What are you talking about?” Hill asked.

“Loki’s doing a broadcast right now and he has the scepter with him. I was able to verify the energy signature.”

Loki turned around when weapons lowered. He was unable to resist saying, “I told you I wasn’t who you thought I was.”

Fury’s expression of, well, fury didn’t abate. As a matter of fact, it seemed to get worse. Loki suppressed a sudden urge to laugh.

With a barely audible growl, Fury turned and followed Banner back the way he had come. Hill followed after as well, as did Loki and the rest. They entered what appeared to be a small control room. Monitors displaying several different feeds played out on them. Loki’s eyes found the one where his alternate was giving a speech of some kind. There was no volume or subtitles so Loki had no idea what was being said.

Morgan shifted in his hold and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. That hadn’t lasted as long as he’d hoped. “Ki?” She looked around and yawned. “Ki, where are we?”

Unfortunately, Loki didn’t know the answer to that question. “We are with Mr. Fury.”

“Who?” She glanced around until she spotted Fury. Pointing to him, she said “Mean Pirate.”

Stark snickered. “It gets better,” Loki said, “she calls Odin ‘Pirate Santa’.”

“Hey, youz on TV Ki.” Morgan frowned. She looked back and forth between him and the monitor where this times Loki was. She pointed to the TV. “Ki’s sick.” Confusion crossed her features when she turned back to him. “Youz sick again? You don’ look sick here. How comes you looks sick there?”

“I’m not sick,” Loki reassured her. He gestured to the monitor with his head. “He’s sick because of the Bad Man.”

“He’s been kind of rambling,” Banner said, drawing everyone’s focus. “He’s also addressing what remains of the governments and offering to pull back troops if the people help work with him to find what he’s been searching for.”

“Hey, how comes you not green?” Morgan asked Banner suddenly.

Banner’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“In our time you’ve ‘blended’ both sides of yourself,” Loki explained. “Hulk body but your mind.” To Morgan he said, “Dr. Banner hasn’t figured out how to make himself green yet.”

“Do we have any idea what he’s searching for yet?” Stark asked, returning to the subject at hand.

Banner’s reply was confused, “A stone.”

“All this for a rock?” asked Barton in surprise.

“Not just any stone,” Loki said. “He’s searching for the Time Stone.”

Thor turned to him with a start. “An Infinity Stone?”

“Hey, you feel like clarifying for those of us who don’t know what you’re talking about?” Stark asked.

“The Infinity Stones are objects of great power,” Thor said. “They embody the six major forces that make up the universe.”

“In what little I was able to research…” Loki said. Morgan wiggled in his hold and he set her down but didn’t have to worry about her wandering off as she attached herself to his side. Her narrowed eyes scrutinized everyone in the room. “…Thanos came here and took the Tesseract, among other things he did here. What I have yet to understand is why he left the scepter here.”

“You mean mass murder?” Fury asked. “Why try and sugarcoat it?”

“Oh I don’t know,” Loki’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “maybe because there is a four year old in the room.”

“Listen you psychopathic fucker—”

“You’re a big meanie-head and that’s a very bad word,” Morgan said, pointing to Fury. She clenched her hands and raised her tiny fists, dropping into one of the fighting stances Loki had taught her. “Don’ talk mean to Ki.”

Fury gazed at her with a raised eyebrow. “Kid, I’ll say whatever the hell I want to him.”

“Morgan,” Loki said, gently lowering her fists, “it’s alright.”

She turned wide eyes up at him. “But it’s not Ki. I don’ want them to try hurting youz again. I don’ like them sayin’ the bad things neither.” She turned her angry glare back on Fury. “You hurts my Ki and I’ll kick your butt.” Morgan cast her scowl across everyone else in the room. “I’ll kick all your butts.”

“Morgan, no one is going to try hurting me,” he cocked an eyebrow at the other adults, “right.”

She didn’t appear convinced but she seemed to let the subject drop for the time being. Loki hoped something else would take her focus soon.

“Yeah, hey so,” Stark tapped a knuckle against the television screen. “What’s so special about the scepter?” he asked. “Besides the whole mind control thing.”

“The gem in the scepter contains the Mind Stone,” answered Loki.

“What?” Thor asked incredulously.

Morgan tugged on his shirt before he could say anything further. “Ki, I gotz to go potty and I’m hungry.”

Loki smoothed down some of her wild hair, thankful she was now sufficiently distracted. “I’m sure there’s a bathroom around here somewhere. We’ll find something to eat too.”

“Chicken nuggets and French fries?”

“Again? You’ve had that nearly every day this week.”

Morgan widened her eyes up at him and clasped her hands together. “Please.”

Loki put his hands on his hips and bent down, narrowing his eyes at her. “Don’t you try those puppy eyes on me. Not gonna work.”

Her bottom lip jut out. “Please Ki.”

They continued to stare at each other for a moment before Loki bopped her on the nose, “Maybe.”

“Yes!” Morgan exclaimed. She started to do a little dance. “Chicken nuggets and French fries,” she sang.

Rolling his eyes, Loki straightened and pointed to Stark. “She gets that from you.”

* * *

Any further discussion on the Infinity Stones was put off for the moment. Loki remained unrestrained, much to Fury’s great anger, but he was not allowed to wander the facility unaccompanied. After finding a bathroom for Morgan, they, along with Thor and Romanov, found the galley. Morgan was disappointed to find that chicken nuggets and fries were not on the menu. They did have macaroni and cheese but Loki was a little suspicious of it.

The four of them sat around one of the tables in the mess hall. Loki had pulled out Morgan’s braid and was currently running his fingers through her hair, weaving his seiðr through it since he didn’t have a brush. When he was satisfied there were no tangles, he began to re-braid her hair.

Romanov and Thor watched him in silence. Morgan on the other hand rambled on about everything and anything while also bemoaning the lack of her current favorite meal. She seemed to trust Romanov as the redheaded hadn’t yet tried to attack Loki nor said anything ‘mean’ about him either. She was still leery of Thor and the rest. Loki being near her helped ease the fear Loki knew she still felt.

“…and then daddy and T’or gotz covered in all the snow.” Morgan said, giggling. “Mommy and Miss Figga made us minty cocoa for our…” she turned her head, making Loki drop the strands he was working with. “What’s the word?”

Loki gently made her face forward and tried again. “Victory.”

“Right, biktory. Daddy and T’or want to snowball fight again. Daddy said we cheated ‘cause Ki used his magic but daddy used his armors so that means daddy cheated too.”

“We did have a rematch at Christmas, remember? We won then too.”

“Yeah! We mades a big,” here she raised her hands and spread them wide, “big snowman and Ki made it move.”

“Sounds like you had a lot of fun,” Romanov said. She had her arms folded on the tabletop. “You aren’t afraid of Loki, are you?”

Loki cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the woman from behind Morgan.

Morgan looked confused. “Why would I be scared of Ki?” Loki finished the braid and tapped her on the head. She smiled at him. “Oh,” she exclaimed suddenly, “do you mean when Ki turned blue? Ki’s blue isn’t scary, it’s pretty. Ki doesn’t like it though.” She pressed a finger to her lips. “So don’ talk about it no more.”

Loki caught Thor’s wince and Romanov’s look of confusion at the mention of his Jötunn form. If Morgan thought that was what Romanov was speaking of, he wasn’t going to tell her any different. He realized Morgan had barely touched her food. “Finish your dinner.”

Morgan scowled at the food. “I don’t like it.”

“It’s macaroni and cheese.”

“It tastes like icky chicken.”

Loki took a small bite and gagged, spitting his bite into a napkin. She was right, it was terrible and now he had that disgusting taste in his mouth. He grabbed Morgan’s orange juice and took a swig. “I thought there were laws against cruel and unusual punishment.” He looked around the mess hall and spotted a microwave near the coffee machine. He pulled a can of Spaghettio’s from his dimensional pocket. “Skeddioes?” he asked.

“How did you do that?” asked Romanov.

At Morgan’s nod, he stood to find a bowl to cook the Spaghettio’s in. “I created a pocket dimension centuries ago that I store things in. It’s attached to me,” he shrugged, “and it sits outside of space/time though I didn’t know until this happened that I would still have access to it when traveling through time.”

“I can’t say that I am entirely convinced you have come from a different time,” Thor said. “It is rather farfetched.”

“Do you have another explanation?” Having found a suitable bowl, Loki prepared the canned food for Morgan.

“It is no secret you can create duplicates of yourself,” Thor said. “You allowed yourself to be captured to gain access to the helicarrier and now…” Thor trailed off, his mind seemingly jumping to a conclusion he did not like.

“You’re right; I did allow myself to be captured back then.” The microwave dinged and he retrieved the food and gave it to Morgan, who dug in eagerly. “You also fail to realize that now; just as then, I’m only here because I want to be. Even within your glass prison I could have escaped at any time.”

His words made Thor and Romanov sit up straighter. “Then what is it you’re after now?” Romanov asked.

“Answers,” Loki replied. “I want to know how it is you lost.”

“We were unable to close the portal allowing the Chitauri army through but you know this already.”

Loki looked back and forth between them. “Didn’t you use the fail safe to close down the portal?”

“What fail safe?”

“When Dr. Selvig was designing the device to interface with the Tesseract I _suggested_ he build in a way to shut it off. With The Other monitoring everything I did I couldn’t outright tell Selvig to add in the flaw. I never had any intention of winning.”

“There was no fail safe. Once New York was taken the flow of troops stopped. You closed the portal only after Thanos came. The portal device is still on the top of Stark tower.”

Loki sat back down beside Morgan. He thought he had made progress in convincing them that he was not the Loki they thought he was. There were _two_ of him in this time. It didn’t help that they took his “God of Lies” moniker to heart.

Morgan finished her meal and Loki wiped sauce from her mouth. He may be taking just the tiniest bit of pleasure in the continued looks of surprise he received at his interactions with Morgan.

Afterwards Loki said, “I know you have questions you want answered and I will answer them to the best of my ability but I refuse to have that discussion with Morgan present. There are things she is too young to understand.”

“No I’m not,” Morgan said.

“Yes you are.” Morgan gave him a look of narrowed eyes and pursed lips. “Don’t give me that look. I _invented_ that look.”

She leaned over and hugged his torso. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

“I have absolutely no intention of doing that.” He turned his attention to the other two at the table. “Is there anyplace I can take her while we talk?”

“There is a small entertainment room just down the hall. She can wait there,” Romanov said.

They followed her to the room and Loki was not at all surprised to find armed guards following them. While Loki entered the room with Morgan, he manifested a duplicate, which regarded Thor and Romanov. He gestured down the hallway. “Shall we?”

“We are not leaving you here.”

“Loki—” Thor began.

Loki cut him off. “This is nonnegotiable. I am not going to leave Morgan alone nor am I going to leave her in the care of people neither she nor I know. You have guards stationed here and as I said before, I am here because I _chose_ to be. If you wish to have a discussion, this is how it is going to happen.”

Neither Thor nor Romanov looked pleased but both seemed to realize Loki would not budge on this. They exchanged looks before seeming to decide not to argue the issue further. He followed them to what appeared to be a conference room. Loki found Fury and the others gathered there waiting for them.

“You have information for us,” Fury said without preamble.

“I know what happened in my time and that there are some glaring differences between then and what is happening now.

“As I told you earlier, I lost the battle in New York. When I first came here, I truly believed it was my desire to conquer and rule your realm. Subconsciously though, it was the furthest from the truth. I had enough of my subconscious mind to make sure I purposely lost while not making it seem as if that is what I did. I planted the suggestion within Dr. Selvig’s mind that he build a fail-safe into the portal device.

“After my defeat, Thor and I returned to Asgard with the power of the Tesseract. I was placed within Asgard’s dungeons where I was supposed to remain until death. In a couple of years the Convergence will happen.”

“What’s that?” Banner asked.

“The Convergence is a natural occurrence in which the Nine Realms are in full alignment. It only happens once every five thousand years and it does cause the barrier between the Realms to thin. It was during the Convergence that the Aether was found.”

“Bor destroyed the Aether,” Thor said.

“He hid it away but he didn’t destroy it. He couldn’t since its true form is that of the Reality Stone. Jane Foster stumbled upon it while studying the Convergence but I don’t know where it was she found it.

“It awoke the Dark Elves who are not as wiped out as we were led to believe. Without going into too much detail, Asgard was attacked, Mother killed by the Kursed and Father… He did not handle it well. Thor broke me out of my prison so I could help him get to Svartalfheim to remove the Aether from Dr. Foster. There was fighting, Dr. Foster was saved, I died.”

Thor looked stunned. “You what?” Thor choked. “And Mother was…”

“Mother was killed and I died, though I was only dead for a short time. I returned to Asgard and posed as Odin for… four years…” Loki waved a hand. He paused to consider just how much he should reveal about Hela and the destruction of Asgard. Was there really a risk of creating an alternate timeline? Isn’t this what this was already?

“Other events happened that I won’t get into right now. We had to bring about Ragnarök in order to defeat a different enemy.” He looked at Thor. “When you return to Asgard, ask Odin who Hela is.”

Addressing the room at large again he continued, “Much of Asgard’s population was killed during that. What few survivors we were able to rescue made their way here. On our way to Midgard, Thanos attacked our ship and he nearly wiped those survivors out. He would have killed Thor and I gave him the Tesseract to save Thor’s life.”

“Get a nice reward for that?” Barton asked scathingly.

“A broken neck and hurled out into the vacuum of space,” Loki replied drily. “I didn’t know that Thanos had succeeded in his plan to gather the Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life in the universe until after it was done.

“Ironically it was Tony who rescued me. He’d ended up on Thanos’s home world. He came upon the wreckage of our ship and found me floating in space. He thought that if Thor were alive he would want to give me a proper burial. Tony accidentally put the broken vertebrae back in place and my seiðr healed the damage. We returned to Midgard and began hunting for Thanos. By the time he was found he had destroyed the Infinity Stones so there was no way to reverse the damage he had done. Thor cut his head off in retaliation.

“After all of that Thor and I established New Asgard. We lived in peace for five years. The Realms were still trying to rebuild but the loss was just too great. After five years, an opportunity was presented to us to reverse what had been done. Tony figured out how to successfully travel through time using research by a man named Hank Pym. Long story short, we went back in time, collected the Stones and restored all those lost to the Snap. Asgard and her people were returned as well.”

His story finished, Loki waited for their response. There was a long period of silence. Finally, it was Rogers who spoke first but he didn’t address Loki. It was to Thor he asked, “Do you believe him?”

Thor appeared torn. “A part of me wants to but…” he addressed Loki, “it is just too unbelievable Loki.”

“Contrary to popular belief, I tell the truth more often than not,” Loki replied drily.

“Isn’t one of your titles ‘God of Lies’?” Romanov asked.

“That’s because ‘God of Truths People Don’t Want to Hear’ is a bit of a mouthful.”

Stark snickered then coughed to try covering up his outburst.

“One cannot simply accept your tale as truth,” Thor said.

Loki should have known Thor wouldn’t believe him. He didn’t know why he was surprised by that. He hated himself for the feeling of hurt he felt by Thor’s attitude. _That_ isn’t _your brother,_ he reminded himself. _My Thor is in the future._

“I find myself no longer caring if you believe me or not.” Loki said. “My number one priority is returning Morgan and myself to our time.”

“How would you intend to do that?” Stark asked.

That was the question, wasn’t it? “Maybe the libraries of Asgard have the answers I seek to return Morgan and me where we belong.”

“The Bifröst was destroyed,” Thor reminded him. “It will be decades before it is repaired.”

Loki winced, he’d forgotten about that. It was only a minor setback though. “That does complicate things a bit but you forget, I can world-walk. I don’t need the Bifröst to travel between Realms. I can follow the secret paths to take us to Asgard if you’d like.”

“Hold up,” Stark leaned forward on the table. “You have the ability to go to different planets at will?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“Cool.”

“As interesting as that is,” Fury said, glaring pointedly at Stark. He apparently hadn’t appreciated the man’s enthusiasm. “What do you get out of it? How would we know you wouldn’t be leading anyone into a trap?”

“You don’t,” Loki said, enjoying Fury’s frustration just a little bit. “Do you want to go to Asgard or not?”

Thor rose from his seat and stood before Loki. “I will trust you in this,” Thor said. “But know that if you betray me or any of my allies, I will not hesitate to kill you.”

Loki looked past Thor to the rest gathered. “If any of you wish to go as well, we leave in an hour.” He gave Thor a smirk as his simulacrum dissolved.

* * *

An hour later found Loki, Morgan and the rest of the Avengers waiting within the conference room from earlier. Each of the Avengers had decided to accompany them to Asgard, Banner somewhat reluctantly, and had taken the hour Loki had given them to suit up. Loki was the only one who hadn’t donned armor. He _had_ made sure Morgan was protected by the armor built by Tony.

“Are you ready?” Loki asked once they had all gathered.

“No,” Banner said. “Are we sure it’s a good idea for me to go? What if, uh, the other guy doesn’t like it?”

Stark clasped him on the shoulder. “You’re going.”

“How do we do this?” Rogers asked.

Loki picked Morgan up and secured her against his hip. He held out his free hand to the others. “Take my hand and don’t let go.”

The Avengers appeared skeptical but Thor took his hand anyway. Thor held out his other hand and the rest created a chain.

“Where we going Ki?” Morgan asked.

“Asgard,” replied Loki.

“Really? The light can’t get to here, can it?”

“No it can’t,” Loki agreed. He wasn’t going to explain to her that the Bifröst was broken or the circumstances by which it came to be that way. “We’re going to teleport.”

“Really?” She hugged him and closed her eyes. She was grinning when she said, “I ready.”

At the others questioning gazes Loki said, “She likes teleporting. Says it’s what she thinks a rollercoaster is like.”

Banner appeared alarmed, “It what?”

Loki didn’t give them a chance to brace themselves or change their minds. He teleported them away, first to the location of the secret paths then through it. He continued to teleport them until they were within the palace walls. He stopped them in the gardens.

Banner looked green though not the green that indicated his change into Hulk. “I’m going to be sick,” Banner moaned.

“You do that a lot?” Rogers asked, swaying just the slightest.

Loki shrugged, setting Morgan on her feet. She bounced up and down excitedly, “Again Ki. I wanna go again.”

“Later,” he promised. “Right now we should probably go find my mommy and daddy.”

“Miss Figga and Pirate Santa!”

Loki chuckled. “Odin, but you’re right, Pirate Santa is much better.”

He took her hand in his and started out of the garden. He paused and looked back to Thor. “You might want to lead since I’m persona non grata right now.”

Thor took point and led them all into the palace. Morgan skipped at Loki’s side, swinging their hands happily between them.

They came across a patrol of Einherjar and stopped. “Prince Thor,” the captain of the guard said. “You have returned and have brought the traitor with you.”

“I have, and it was Prince Loki who brought us here.”

“Heimdall informed the King of your return. The King has ordered the traitor to be restrained and taken before him for sentencing.”

One of the guards stepped forward, chains in hand, to restrain him. Morgan let out a cry when she saw the guard. “No! Don’ hurt Ki!” she yelled, putting herself in front of Loki with her arms outstretched.

Loki knelt down and turned her to face him. He put his hands on her shoulders. “They aren’t going to hurt me sweetie.”

Morgan’s eyes glistened. “Then how comes they gotz those?” she asked, pointing to the shackles.

“There is no need for those,” Thor said.

“We have orders from the King,” the guard argued.

“Excuse me,” Rogers said, stepping forward. “Loki has brought us here of his own free will. He’s been in our custody for hours.”

“Don’t bother Captain,” Loki said, standing. “They will not listen to what you have to say.” Loki held out his wrists for the guard to bind.

“Ki, no,” whined Morgan.

“It’ll be okay sweetie.”

“Listen guys,” said Stark, “y’all are about T-minus, _maybe,_ thirty seconds from full blown waterworks. Spare the kid that will ya?”

The guard glanced at his leader, who in turn glanced at Thor. A gesture from the elder prince had the Einherjar moving away. They kept the group surrounded but made no further attempt to restrain Loki.

The group made their way into what Loki recognized as the smaller throne room. The Einherjar left them at the doorway, taking up positions on either side of the large doors. Loki had had to pick Morgan up as they walked. She was still clearly upset at what had transpired in the hallway.

Odin sat upon a smaller version of Hliðskialf and Frigga stood just to the side. “I distinctly recall ordering the Einherjar to place Loki in restraints.”

“We ran into a slight problem with that,” Thor said.

“None of us were really willing to risk upsetting a kid,” added Stark.

Loki looked at his parents and found himself taken aback at their appearance. He hadn’t realized how much they had seemed to age over the last twelve years. It suddenly seemed like it had been so much longer than that.

His mother’s gaze met his. She gave a start then rushed forward. She came to a stop before him, her eyes scrutinizing him. “Mother?” he asked.

Frigga’s hand came up to cup his cheek. “You are Loki,” Frigga said, “but you are not _my_ Loki.”

“We come from twelve years in the future.”

Frigga’s gaze found Morgan. The little girl decided to take that moment to be shy and buried her face against Loki’s neck. Frigga brought her eyes back up to meet Loki’s and she shook her head. “No, that is not it. You fall along the same point in time that you are on now. You belong in this time but you do not belong in this dimension.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I figure the only reason Loki didn’t originally just escape from the helicarrier was because he wanted to be there. Seriously, that prison was built for Hulk, why would it suddenly be able to hold a magic user who can teleport?
> 
> Uh... 14 chapters and a epilogue?


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Research continues, the Almighty maker of coffee is hailed and Frigga tries another method of finding her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not a scientist, just saying. 
> 
> This is a relatively short chapter but they start to get much longer from here on out.

**_Seven_ **

_2024_

Thor returned to the Avengers facility with a new coffee machine and coffee supplies. When the previous machine had, “bit the dust,” Thor had offered to go out and get a replacement. It had given him something to do since he was of no help to Tony and the others in running diagnostics on Jane’s machines.

Tony dropped his glasses onto the table with a clatter and scrubbed a hand down his face. He spotted Thor. “Please tell me that’s a new coffee machine.”

“It is,” Thor replied.

“Thank God,” Jane said, coming over to him and taking the box. Jane ripped the box open and began to pull out all of the pieces. Erik brought over a pitcher of water.

“Don’t you need to wash that first?” Thor asked as they started to brew a pot.

“Yes,” Bruce replied.

“But none of us care,” Tony said as he went over to the machine and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of coffee. His eyelids fluttered. “Are we sure I can’t just set up a coffee IV?”

“That would kill you.”

“Party pooper.”

“I take it you haven’t found anything new,” Thor said, watching as the others gathered around the coffee pot as if it were some kind of deity.

“No,” Jane said. “But I’m hoping we’ll be able to make sense of the new data we were able to extrapolate.”

“I thought you had download everything earlier.”

“Parts of the systems memory had become corrupted due to the power surge,” Tony explained. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been trying to rebuild it.”

Thor picked up the discarded box the coffee maker had come in. He hoped F.R.I.D.A.Y. was able to find the answers in the damaged portion of the systems memory. It had already been nearly two weeks since Loki and Morgan had disappeared. Thor prayed answers would be found soon.

Thor knew he needed to speak with Tony regarding his continued stay on Midgard, as much as he didn’t want to. If it we’re up to him, he would remain on Midgard until Loki and Morgan were found. Unfortunately, responsibility would soon force him to return to Asgard. He felt doing so meant he was giving up on ever finding his brother and niece. He felt as if he were abandoning Tony. Thor hated the feeling.

Thor continued to keep the scientists company. Pepper would come and go and while she would put on a brave face, Thor knew she feared for her daughter.

Erik suddenly let out a cry of joy. “I got…” He slumped in his chair. “Never mind.”

“What is it?” Bruce asked.

Erik waved a hand, “I thought I’d isolated what had caused the power surge.” He pointed out something on the screen in front of him for Bruce to see. “This spike in energy here is almost identical to what the Tesseract gave off when it opened the portal which initially brought Loki here _and_ when the portal over New York was opened.”

Thor, Tony and Jane wandered over to take a look. While the data meant nothing to Thor, it did appear to mean something to Tony. “Holy shit!” Tony exclaimed.

The other two men did not appear to see whatever it was Tony saw. Jane on the other hand gasped. She pointed to a string of data. “Is that—”

“It has to be. There’s no other explanation. I mean, we thought we’d caught it earlier. Given the proximity—”

“—and the surge of power—”

“—the fact that it—”

“What are you looking at?” Bruce asked in frustration.

Tony and Jane spun to Thor. Simultaneously, they demanded, “How does Loki teleport?”

* * *

_2012_

Loki was sure he had misheard his mother. “Dimension?”

Frigga nodded. “Yes, this is not the reality in which you belong.”

“How is that possible?” Stark asked. “If he’s from another dimension then that means the Multiverse is a thing and there is absolutely _zero_ proof of that.”

“Scientists have theorized the _possibility_ of a Multiverse,” Banner added, “but it’s mostly just speculation.”

Loki reluctantly put Morgan down. She didn’t seem pleased by that at all and for a moment stood in front of him with her arms raised. He took her hands but didn’t pick her up. “If we really have crossed dimensions that doesn’t quite explain why this dimension is twelve years behind mine.”

“Unless this is the result of a finite multiverse rather than an infinite one,” Stark said. “That _could_ explain the difference in time.”

“Do you happen to be an expert in astrophysics now?” Rogers asked.

“Hold up,” Barton interrupted, stepping forward. He had his eyes set on Frigga. “You’re seriously saying that _he_ ,” Barton jerked a thumb at Loki, “isn’t the guy who destroyed our world?”

“That is precisely what my wife is saying,” Odin said, stepping down from the dais.

“And here I thought I was only dealing with time travel,” Loki said. “It would explain why the outcome of the battle was different from what I remember.” Loki still had a hard time believing that his counterpart in this dimension had truly wanted to win. From the images he had seen, this Loki was suffering just as he once had.

He turned his attention back to his mother. “Would it be possible to communicate with the dimension we come from?”

Frigga’s brow furrowed in thought. “Maybe, but it will require some research.”

“Then I respectfully ask for access to Asgard’s libraries.”

“You do not need to ask that,” Frigga laughed. “I am your mother in your dimension, yes?”

“Yes,” Loki replied, not understanding the purpose of her question.

“Then I am still your mother here, just as you are my son and a Prince of Asgard. The libraries are ever yours to peruse.”

“Thank you,” Loki said. He turned back to regard the Avengers. “This could take some time. I can take you back to Midgard before I start, if you’d like.”

“How long are you talking?” Romanov asked.

Loki shrugged. “I have absolutely no idea,” he answered truthfully. It could be hours or it could simply be futile. He had no way of knowing if there even _were_ answers to the questions he sought. At the very least, he had to try.

“We’ll give it a little time,” Rogers said. “A day or so, then we’ll have to either go back or find some way to contact Fury from here.”

“We will have rooms prepared for you,” Frigga said.

“Thank you ma’am.”

Taking Morgan by the hand, Loki headed for the library. Once there he gave Morgan his phone to entertain herself with while he worked. Loki just wished he had an idea of where to begin.

* * *

_2024_

“I honestly have no idea,” Thor replied to Tony and Jane’s question once he had figured out what they had said in their excitement. “Are you saying that the machine picked up Loki teleporting?”

“It looking more and more to be that way,” Jane replied, her eyes returning to the display. “If I had a better understanding of how he does it then I could say for certain.”

“Would Frigga know?” Tony asked.

Thor nodded. “Probably. She did teach Loki her craft. Even if she doesn’t know immediately she should be able to figure it out.”

Tony looked at his watch. “Okay, so, I’m going to call Pepper and let her know we’re going to Asgard. She might want to come too but it won’t take long to get anything we need.”

“All right. Unfortunately, I will need to return anyway. My responsibility as king won’t all me to stay here much longer.”

“I’ll stay here and continue working through the data,” Bruce said.

“I will too,” Erik said. “If they _have_ somehow been sent to an alternate reality, we’ll try and figure out which one and also how to get them back.”

“Thank you,” Thor replied. He turned to Tony and Jane. “Let me know when you’re ready to go.”

They parted ways for the time being. Thor wandered the complex, his mind abuzz with worry. Whenever he tried to tell himself that Loki and Morgan were _fine_ and that they were only missing, his thoughts would turn to all of the ways in which that wouldn’t be true. He tried to be optimistic but pessimism wormed it’s way in every time.

Tony, Pepper and Jane met back up with him a short time later. They went outside where they traveled to Asgard via the Bifröst. They went straight to the palace where they met with Odin and Frigga.

Jane immediately pulled Frigga into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

“Child?” Frigga asked.

“I’m sorry I got you killed,” Jane said, pulling back. Her gaze fell to the floor. “I’m sorry I put your son in this situation.”

“What happened to me was not your fault,” Frigga replied, bringing Jane’s gaze up to meet hers. “You have nothing to apologize for there. As for what is happening now, we will find a way to get them back. Tell us what you have found.” Jane and Tony went on to explain the new information they had discovered.

The two older Asgardians remained silent as they processed the information they were given. “I am unable to world-walk,” Frigga said after some thought. “However it is my understanding that when Loki does so he is moving within what you would call the ‘fabric of reality’.”

“How exactly does that work?” asked Tony. “If Loki is stepping out of reality as we know it when he teleports, then would it be possible for him to actually teleport to a different reality?”

“Not as such,” Frigga replied. She pursed her lips in thought. “It’s more that he walks along Yggdrasil’s branches. They are still within our reality but you cannot see their paths.”

“Loki did say that the devices did not feel right in the ether,” Thor said, remembering his brother’s words from before.

“In what way?” asked Odin.

Thor shook his head. “He couldn’t say. He said it felt strange but couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was.”

“You know more about seiðr than I do,” Tony said to Frigga. “If… alright, hypothetically speaking,” Tony began to pace and gesture with his hands as he talked, “say Loki tried to teleport Morgan and himself away but they were somehow caught within the expanding wormholes and since the wormholes sit outside of space/time, instead of reappearing within our reality they were sent to, say, a parallel one.”

“How does Loki’s teleporting affect this?” Jane asked.

“Frigga just said that Loki steps _outside_ what we perceive as reality when he does that. Now granted I’m just spitballing here, but what if when the machines exploded and the wormholes collapsed they tore the boundaries between _dimensions_ just enough for them to accidentally slip through?”

Jane rubbed at her eyes. “You’re talking about a whole _realm_ of theoretical astrophysics that hasn’t even been developed yet.”

“I know, I know,” Tony groaned, pressing his fingers against his temples. “I just wish we had some way of narrowing down where they went. Hell, I’d take just knowing they were okay.”

“Can seiðr do that?” Pepper asked. She turned to Frigga. “Can you use your magic to try and find them?”

Frigga was already shaking her head. “I tried doing so when Loki was lost to the Void with no success. Heimdall cannot see them anywhere within Yggdrasil as it is.”

“Heimdall was unable to see Loki while he was in the Void,” Odin reminded her. “What sort of tracking spell were you using?”

“Scrying, using his favorite daggers as a focal point.”

“Isn’t blood to blood the best for that type of spell?” asked Thor.

“Yes,” Frigga agreed. She paused, her expression startled as she met the equally stunned gaze of her husband. “You don’t think…?”

“We did not know last time,” Odin replied.

Thor exchanged confused looks with the others. “Mother? Father?”

Frigga turned back to them. “When I searched for Loki in the Void I did not try scrying blood to blood because, at that time, I knew it wouldn’t work.”

“Because Loki is adopted?” Jane asked.

“Yes, but now…”

“Now we know Loki _is_ related by blood,” Odin finished.

“Does the strength of the blood relation matter?” asked Pepper.

“The closer it is, the stronger the spell will be,” replied Frigga.

“How much blood do you need?” Thor asked.

“You’re actually not the best candidate,” said Tony.

“Loki is my brother.”

“Not genetically,” Tony reminded him. “Odin is the better choice because the genetic similarities are greater between an uncle and nephew than it is between cousins.”

Jane’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “Loki is your cousin?”

It was Tony who answered. “Yeah, kinda figured that out by accident. We were running a paternity test on Thor for this kid, uh, what was his name again?”

“Magni,” Pepper said.

“Right, well I ended up doing everyone just for comparison and that’s how we learned about their relationship.”

“Information, of which isn’t important at the moment. Come,” Frigga motioned for them to follow her. “Let us see if we cannot find our children.”

They followed Frigga to her study. She began to gather various herbs and liquids Thor didn’t recognize. He realized he should probably have paid more attention to his mother and brother when they wove their spells.

Once Frigga had gathered everything she needed, she placed the items in a large bowl. Taking a small silver knife, she cut Odin’s hand. He held his hand over the bowl, blood dropping to mix with the other ingredients. When there was enough, Frigga mixed them then took a small brush and moved over to the large mirror on the wall. Using the brush, she began to paint runes along the outer edge of the mirror. The runes seemed to shimmer as they were completed.

Thor could hear his mother whispering something but he was unable to make out any of the words. The mirror suddenly became hazy, smoke seeming to swirl along the glass. The runes started to shimmer more brightly and Thor could have sworn he heard a faint ringing. The smoke continued to swirl until it finally began to clear. The image in the mirror did not reflect the room they were in, however. Instead, it showed them another, similar, room and Thor released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Loki’s grin was a welcome sight. “Hello brother.”


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki researches a way to get him and Morgan back where they belong. Contact between realities is made, and Alternate Thor learns some harsh truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to post chapter eight today as well since seven was so short. I hope I'm not shooting myself in the foot by doing this since I'm working on twelve right now. Although if I keep to the Saturday posting schedule I should be fine. Quick reminder that Stark is from 2012 and Tony from is 2024. We do backtrack just a smidge from the last chapter. 
> 
> Just a warning, the first part of this chapter could probably be rated M. I didn’t tag Graphic Descriptions of Violence since the worst part is only a few short paragraphs. Loki does describe a torture session in detail. Fair warning in case this is a trigger for anyone. 
> 
> This chapter took on a life of its own. I’d had a plan but _someone_ *looks pointedly at Loki who whistles innocently* decided to throw away the script.

**_Eight_ **

_2012_

Loki spent the next several hours poring over a number of different tomes. _None_ of them made any headway in finding a way for him and Morgan to return home. Only a couple of them even mentioned alternate realities as it was and everything he found on time travel spoke only of the _dangers,_ not of any means of reversing it. Though if his mother (not mother? alternate mother?) was correct then researching time travel would do him no good.

Loki tried to ignore his shadows as he worked. While he kept an ear out for Morgan, and gave her his attention when she needed it, his senses were on high alert with having the Avengers watching his every move. It was unnerving to say the least.

He stood and, leaving a simulacrum behind to keep an eye on Morgan, went in search of more tomes. He perused the shelves, _hoping_ that something would jump out at him. Loki scrubbed his face with his hands, feeling a headache coming on. There had to be an answer. There _had_ to be, because the alternative was something he was unwilling to contemplate. He wouldn’t give up hope of them finding a way home.

Loki moved throughout the library, collecting tomes to take back with him as he went. When he finally returned to the table he had been working at he discovered that dinner had been delivered. Morgan sat eating and coloring. He dropped more tomes onto the table, coughing a bit from the dust he kicked up.

Loki worked, making notes here and there. He ended up losing all track of time as he continued his research.

“You’ve not eaten, have you?”

Loki looked up from his latest tome, blinking bleary eyes up at Frigga, who had spoken to him. Loki’s back popped as he sat back. “I’ve been busy,” he replied. Looking around the library, Loki realized the scones had been lit and it was quite dark outside. “What time is it?”

“Late,” Frigga replied.

She gestured to Loki’s right and he turned to see that Morgan had fallen asleep in her chair. Loki groaned. “Damn,” he muttered.

“You should rest,” Frigga said.

“I will, once I figure this out.”

“It will do you no good to make yourself sick Loki. I know how you are; you will work until you drop. Would you really do that to yourself?”

“If it means getting Morgan back where she belongs, then yes.”

“And what about you?” Frigga inquired. “You don’t wish to return to your home?”

“I do,” Loki said, “but… I also want to help this worlds Loki.” He closed the tome he’d been looking through and set it aside. “I know what he’s been through because I’ve lived it and I can’t in good conscience leave him to such an awful fate.”

“I want him to come home,” Frigga said sadly.

Loki stood and pulled Morgan into his arms, being careful not to wake her. “It will be hard,” Loki told Frigga, “I won’t lie to you on that.” Frigga led him out of the library and it was at that moment Loki realized his shadows had disappeared. “Where are the others?”

“They have all returned to their rooms. We have placed them all within the guest’s quarters. I felt it better to put you there as well. I did not believe you would want to stay in your old rooms.”

She was right about that. As comforting as the familiarity of his rooms would be, they weren’t _his_ rooms. They belonged to the Loki of this reality. “Thank you.”

“There is a common area between them much like what is between your and Thor’s rooms.”

He knew that but he felt she was only speaking to keep any silence from becoming uncomfortable. “How did you convince the Avengers to leave the library?”

“You mean, how did I convince them to stop hovering over you? I simply told them there was no danger of your trying to escape. I think they are slowly coming to accept there are currently two of you in this reality.”

That actually surprised him. “How did you manage that?”

Frigga shrugged. “It was no easy feat. They are quite stubborn where you are concerned. Also, I told them the Einherjar patrol the area frequently.”

“The Einherjar rarely patrol around the library.”

Frigga’s lips quirked upwards slightly. “They don’t know that.”

Loki chuckled softly. “They do have every right to be stubborn, considering what is happening on Midgard. In my time,” he shook his head, “or my reality we have come to an understanding. Thor and I are close again and our family has grown to include Tony and his family.”

Frigga’s answering smile was a bit mischievous. “You cannot see it, can you?”

“See what?”

She shook her head. “Never mind.”

Now Loki was curious but he was too tired to pursue the matter. They walked the remainder of the way in silence. Parting ways at his room, he entered and put Morgan to bed. He used his seiðr to put her in her pajamas, as he had no desire to fight a sleeping child through changing her clothes.

After tucking her in, he kissed her head then headed out to the common area. He was too tired to care that it wasn’t empty. He found a vacant seat and collapsed into it. Loki tipped his head back against the rest and rubbed at his eyes.

“Find anything?” Romanov asked.

“Nothing I can use,” Loki replied. “Most of what I could find was nothing but the dangers of time travel. Anything pertaining to alternate realities was just speculation.”

“So it’s just a bunch of bull,” Barton said.

“I wish I’d had more time to study the devices Foster built.”

“Jane?” Thor asked.

“Yes, she and Selvig built these teleportation devices based off the Bifröst and Tesseract. They were using the ARC Reactor in the old Avengers tower as a power source.”

“‘Old Avengers tower’?” Stark asked.

Loki nodded, closing his eyes. “You sold the building. We had gone to a scientific conference and they were demonstrating the devices. Something obviously went wrong.”

“How so?”

Loki cracked an eye open and raised an eyebrow. “They exploded. I’m actually surprised the blast didn’t kill us. I’d started to tele…” Loki sat up, his mind now racing with possibilities. That couldn’t have been the catalyst, could it? The wormholes had arched then collapsed. Could the power of their collapse have thinned the barrier between realities enough for him to have accidentally slipped through? Had Dr. Foster mentioned using the Aether in her research? Loki couldn’t remember.

Thor’s voice broke into his racing thoughts. “There is something I want to ask you.”

Loki made a mental note to come back to his hypothesis in the morning. “What?”

Thor appeared a little uneasy. “If you are truly from a parallel reality then you would have lived the same life as my brother up until the events in New York.”

“If that was the point where our two realities split, then yes, we would have had the same experiences up until that point.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why attack Midgard?”

“That is a complicated answer,” Loki replied. “The main reason was my freedom. I knew I had a better chance of obtaining that if I was once more among Yggdrasil’s branches.”

“Freedom?” Thor asked skeptically. “It had nothing to do with revenge against me for your imagined slights?”

“My im—” Loki stood and went over to the table that held a pitcher of mead. If Thor was going to insist on this conversation, Loki was going to need something to drink. “I’d forgotten how self-centered you used to be,” he said as he poured mead into a goblet.

“ _I’m_ self-centered?” Thor asked incredulously.

He took a long pull from the goblet. “Yes,” Loki said, turning back to the blonde. “Because you think everything is about you and you have thought that way for the last _century._ Newsflash Thor, the Nine Realms do not revolve around you. You think what happened on Midgard is all about you but it’s not. I did it to save myself and as much as I regret what I had to do, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you had a single _iota_ of what I suffered at the hands of Thanos and his _C_ _hildren_ you would have done the same _._ ”

“You destroyed a whole realm because you wanted to be king!”

“You are not _listening!_ ” Loki yelled, slamming the goblet on the table. “You never listen unless it’s something you want to hear. Why did you even bother to ask your question when you already _apparently_ know the answer?”

“I want you to tell the truth!”

“No, the only truth you want to hear is _your_ truth. Tell me Thor, have you told your new allies why you were banished to Midgard last year?” Thor stiffened and Loki felt himself beginning to grin. “You haven’t, have you?”

“You goaded me into it!”

“Maybe we should leave,” Banner said gesturing to the doors.

Stark and Rogers stood, “Good idea,” Stark said.

“Sit down!” Loki bellowed, using his seiðr to force them back into their seats. To Thor, he growled, “I did no such thing. Your coronation was ruined and you threw a temper tantrum. _You_ wanted to march on Jötunheim and destroy the Frost Giants because _you_ needed to heal _your_ bruised ego.”

“It was your idea!” Thor shouted.

“I made one offhanded comment and you took it as carte blanche to do whatever you wanted. I tried to stop you _several_ times. We never should have made it to Jötunheim but you dragged me and your sycophants to that Hel. I manage to talk Laufey into letting us leave peacefully and when one of them calls you ‘princess’ you decided that was enough to start a war. While I and your idiot friends were fighting for our lives, you were _laughing_ because to you, slaughtering monsters is a sport.”

Loki began to stalk towards Thor as he spoke. He could feel that Norns awful cold seeping into his chest and knew that for the first time he was shifting into his Jötunn form on his own. Thor’s eyes grew wide and for every step forward Loki took, Thor took a step back. Loki threw his arms out. “You start a war because someone hurt your feelings and to you slaughtering an entire race is justified. When I try to destroy them with no risk to a single Æsir life to _end_ the war you started, suddenly the ends no longer justify the means.”

Thor tried to protest, “I never—”

“You did and you _enjoyed_ it.” Loki hissed. He took a breath to calm himself. “If you want to blame anyone for what has happened, blame yourself. If you hadn’t dragged me to Jötunheim, I never would have learned I was Jötunn. If I hadn’t learned I was Jötunn then maybe I wouldn’t have lost my mind trying to reconcile having been born a monster. I wouldn’t have had to deal with that along with having the weight of the Realm on my shoulders, your friends wouldn’t have been so quick to betray me and maybe, _maybe,_ I wouldn’t have tried to kill myself.

“When I say I attacked Midgard as a means to gain my freedom, had you suffered what I did, you would have done the same thing. I’d used to think I was weak because I broke but I know now that isn’t the truth. I’m strong because I _survived._ ”

“ _Nothing_ would make me do what you have! You’re actions are your own!”

“And yet you want to blame me for yours.”

Loki straightened, lowering his arms. The room began to change, no longer did they see the common room, instead blood covered walls met their vision. Chains rattled from the body swaying in their hold. Loki walked over to the manifestation of himself, broken, bloodied and missing his right arm.

“It wasn’t just the scepter they used on me. They tore off my limbs, gouged out my eyes, cut out my tongue all in an effort to break me. My seiðr healed me each time. I became an experiment to them as well as a future tool.”

The chains slackened, sending his manifestation to the ground. Thanos, Ebony Maw and The Other entered the cell. Maw lifted a hand and they watched as the beaten Loki rose from the ground. His body was laid out on a slab that rose from the floor.

_“As you can see Master,”_ Maw said, _“whenever we remove an appendage his body regenerates it. It is quite remarkable how much raw magic he contains.”_ Blood slowly dribbled from a cut along Loki’s throat. _“We had to sever his larynx to stop the screaming. Currently I am measuring how long it takes for his eyes and arm to regrow.”_

Harsh breaths escaped the figure on the slab. His head swiveled trying to find those around him. Empty eye sockets made that impossible. His body stiffened, mouth opening in a silent scream as a long cut formed from his clavicle to his navel. The skin peeled back, revealing his rib cage.

“Oh my God,” Rogers said.

“I’m going to be sick,” Banner said breathlessly.

“Moy bog,” muttered Romanov.

“This…” Stark gasped, horrified. “This can’t be real. _No one_ could survive that.”

Like the rest of them, Barton had become white as a sheet. “He did,” he swallowed hard. “I saw it when we were linked.”

_“I would like to try removing his head,”_ Maw said.

_“I need him alive,”_ Thanos reminded the other being.

The sound of bones snapping echoed throughout the room. One by one, each rib within the manifestation’s chest broke until the entire breastbone tore from the body, revealing lungs and a rapidly beating heart. The heartbeat seemed to reverberate within the room. His body thrashed as his lungs were pulled from his chest.

_“I said_ alive _Maw,”_ Thanos growled.

The sound of tearing flesh proceeding the squelch of one of the organs hitting the ground. The manifestation gasped for breath then became still.

_“He is ready.”_

The Other moved forward, the scepter clutched within its six-fingered hand. The blue gem glowed, a tendril of its magic leaving the gem to create a spider web pattern along the face of the manifestation.

“This is where I truly lost myself,” Loki said softly. “This was my breaking point. I swore I would do _anything_ to be free of this pain.”

Someone retched though Loki couldn’t tell who. Thor remained silent however; Loki could clearly make out the pure horror and disgust in his eyes. Loki dropped the illusion and returned to his Æsir form when he heard a scream from the other room. Loki sprinted past the still frozen Avengers; barreling into the room he had left Morgan in, daggers drawn, ready to defend her.

“Ki,” Morgan cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She crawled from underneath the blankets, holding her arms out to him.

Loki vanished his daggers and scooped her up. “Morgan, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I woke up and you wasn’t here,” Morgan wailed. She held tightly to him. “I thought you’d got gone. I thought they’d hurted you again.”

Loki rocked her in an effort to calm her. “I’m sorry sweetie,” he apologized, hugging her tightly. “I never meant to scare you. I’m here, I’m right here.”

Morgan fisted his shirt in her hands. “I wanna go home.”

Loki felt his chest tighten. It took everything within him to keep from crying. “I know you do.” He shifted his hold, tucking her head under his chin. “I’m going to get us home, I promise. I just need time.”

Morgan sniffled, rubbing her face against his shirt. “I know you is Ki but you was gone and I got scared.”

“I will not leave you.” He brushed her hair back but she didn’t raise her head. “Why don’t you lay back down while I get ready for bed?” Morgan didn’t move except to rub her face against his shirt again. Loki poked at her side. “Did you just wipe your snot on my shirt?”

Morgan let out a breathless laugh. “No.”

Loki hummed, not believing her for a second. “Get back under the covers and I’ll be right back.”

Morgan’s head shot up, brown eyes still glistening. “You’re leaving?”

“Only to close the door,” Loki reassured, wiping the tears from her eyes, “and put on my pj’s.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Won’t be five minutes.”

Reluctantly, Morgan crawled back under the blankets. Loki stood from the bed and closed the door to their room. He received concerned and still horrified looks from Thor and the others but Loki couldn’t worry himself with them any more. He knew there would be fallout from their conversation, of that there was no doubt but he had more pressing matters to take care of.

He returned to the bed, his seiðr flowing to change his clothing from normal wear to pajamas. He pulled the blankets back and crawled in beside Morgan, who curled up against him once he’d settled. He wrapped her in his arms, the thumb of one hand rubbing her back. “I’m so sorry I scared you sweetie.”

“I didn’t know where you was or this room. It’s not our room.”

“No, this isn’t _my_ room.”

“ _Our_ room.”

“You have your own room, you just don’t use it.”

Morgan pressed closer, throwing an arm over his middle and pushing a leg in between his. “We gotz the same room.”

Loki winced slightly and carefully pulled her leg from between his. She tried putting it back. “You can’t put your knee, ow, there.”

She threw her leg over his side instead. Loki resigned himself to being her pillow for the night. He had frightened her even if it had never been his intention. “I don’ want you to go,” she mumbled against his chest.

“I’m not going to go anywhere.” He pulled the blankets securely around them. “Do you want me to tell you a story?”

Morgan shook her head. “I just want huggies.”

Loki tightened his hold slightly and curled around her. “I can do that.” They lay there, Loki doing everything he could to reassure her. Eventually Morgan went back to sleep and Loki followed soon after.

* * *

“Something bothers you my son.”

Thor blinked, bringing his focus back to the present. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he had never heard his mother approach. He turned his head and saw both of his parents giving him equal looks of concern.

Thor signed, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. “Yes,” Thor admitted, “my mind will not quiet.” He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what Loki had shown them. The barbarity of what Loki had been through had seared itself in Thor’s mind. Whatever else he may think of his brother at the moment he _knew_ what they had been shown had been no lie. No wonder Loki had lost his mind.

“Do you wish to talk about it?” Odin asked.

Thor sighed again. “I know not where to even begin. Am I… Do I truly care only about myself?”

The inquiry had barely left his lips before Thor realized he had just answered his own question. Loki was right about that also, Thor was a self-centered asshole.

“No,” answered his mother, “but you do tend to lose sight of what is important when you are the center of attention.”

Thor dropped his head into his hands. “Loki said some things earlier that I cannot get out of my head.”

A delicate hand ran down his back in a soothing manner. It didn’t help much. “I sense there is more you are not telling us,” Frigga said.

Thor swallowed and dropped his hands from his face. “It’s been our belief that Loki conspired with Thanos so that he could rule over Midgard but… what if Loki hadn’t had a choice?”

“There is always a choice,” Odin said. “Your brother chose to align himself with Thanos. His thirst for power—”

Thor stood abruptly, taking several steps away from where he’d been seated. “But what if he _didn’t_ ,” interrupted Thor. “You say the Loki who is here now came from a parallel reality. If our loss in New York was the point in which our two universes split then everything prior to that point would have been the same, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then… then you have no _idea_ what Loki suffered. He only gave us a glimpse and I…” Thor scrubbed a hand down his face, wiping futilely at the tears that now ran down his cheeks. “Thanos and his ilk tore Loki apart, _literally._ He couldn’t even scream.”

“He could be lying.”

Thor shook his head. “No, not about this. What he showed us… It was too horrifying to be a lie.”

Silence fell between them for a time. Thor gazed out over Asgard, the realm slowly coming to life as the morning sun began to rise. “Loki was tortured,” Thor said, eventually breaking the silence. “Thanos broke his body and his mind. I know he has beget great destruction upon Midgard and he will need to answer for those crimes but… How much blame can we place upon his shoulders when he never had a choice to begin with?”

Thor walked away, not bothering to wait for an answer. What Loki had shown him, what he had shown all of them, changed everything and Norns damn it, Thor was going to do something he should have done in the first place. He was going to save his brother.

* * *

The next few days followed a routine. Loki spent most of his time in the library, scouring the numerous tomes for _anything_ that could help him get them back home. He made sure to keep from losing himself in his research so he wouldn’t accidently ignore Morgan. He was grateful to Frigga in that regard as she helped keep the four year old occupied. Morgan had been rather quiet since that first night and she spent much of her time coloring at Loki’s side. Occasionally she sat in his lap while they both worked. Loki wasn’t going to complain though. After having frightened Morgan their first night in Asgard, coupled with the trauma she had experienced upon their first meeting with the Avengers, Loki refused to do anything that might terrify Morgan again.

The Avengers had contacted Fury with Frigga’s help. Loki had offered once again to return them to Midgard but they had decided to stay. After that first night, the looks he had received from them had morphed from hatred to something resembling pity. Loki wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

Loki dropped his quill and let his head fall upon the open tome with a groan.

“You okay Ki?”

Loki turned his head and cracked an eye to peer over at Morgan, who sat at his side. “I’m slowly going crazy,” he said.

“Do you need huggies?”

Loki sat up and opened his arms. “I would love hugs.”

Morgan crawled into his lap and hugged him as tightly as she could. Pulling back, she turned his head and placed a kiss on his cheek. Loki smiled, hugged her back and began peppering her face with kisses. Morgan giggled in delight.

Thor’s voice broke into her laughter. “Am I interrupting something?” Thor asked.

“No,” Loki replied. “Did you need something?”

“Mother asked for me to come find you. She thinks there may be a way to contact your reality.”

“Really?”

Thor nodded. “Yes, the others have already gathered in her chambers.”

Realizing he would gain no answers here, Loki stood and together he and Morgan followed after Thor. They walked in silence though Loki was slowly becoming annoyed with Thor’s current behavior. The blonde was walking on eggshells, sneaking furtive glances and apparently hoping Loki wouldn’t notice.

“You can stop,” Loki said as they turned down the hallway leading to Frigga’s chambers.

“Stop what?” Thor asked, trying to seem innocent.

“I’m not made of porcelain. You don’t have to worry that I’ll break.”

“I don’t think—”

“Then stop _acting_ like it,” Loki interrupted. “Will it make you feel better if I offer to stab you if you don’t _knock it off_?”

“Between the ribs?” Morgan asked.

Thor stopped abruptly. “What have you been teaching her?”

“All of my bad habits, apparently,” Loki replied.

“Nobody lets me stab no one,” Morgan lamented, her shoulders drooping in disappointment, “or help hide bodies. Daddy says I gotz to wait until I’m older.”

Thor’s eyebrows shot up. “Hiding bodies?”

“It’s a running joke,” Loki assured him with a soft chuckle. “We haven’t _actually_ hidden any bodies. Not lately anyway.”

They entered Frigga’s chambers and Morgan briefly gave every one of the Avengers the stink eye before sticking her tongue out at them. While she was no longer quite so outwardly hostile to them, she was still fiercely protective of Loki. He’d had to reassure her that they had no intentions of hurting him again. To their credit, the Avengers were avoiding doing anything to upset Morgan any further.

“Thor says you may have a way to contact our reality?” Loki asked Frigga.

“Yes,” Frigga replied.

“How?”

“Scrying.”

“Blood to blood?”

Frigga shook her head. “That will not work for you and I doubt you want to have Morgan provide blood.”

“You’re right, I don’t, but you’re wrong about it not working for me. Although I doubt it would work properly anyway since any scrying spell we try would find our relations within this reality.”

“The scrying spell I want to try would only require a small lock of Morgan’s hair.”

“But you would still be searching for her parents and both of them also reside in this reality.” He pointed to Stark, “He is her father.”

Frigga frowned. “While that is true, your energies are slightly different compared to this reality. We have determined the critical juncture in which our two realities split is Loki’s victory on Midgard. You have since lived out another twelve years.”

“I still don’t get how that works,” Stark said. “If our realities were literally parallel up until that one critical point, then _how_ exactly did that reality end up twelve years ahead of ours?”

“Unless something else affected the split,” Banner said, pinching his nose. His expression was this strange mix of fighting off a headache and constipated. “Something that not only changed the outcome of the battle but kept time in our reality from moving at the same rate as the one we were originally linked to?”

“Raise your hand if you have no idea what Banner just said.”

Loki raised his hand, along with everyone else in the room. “It’s only been a couple of months since your battle in New York and over twelve years since mine. If time here is seemingly moving that much slower then potentially several months, if not years, have passed in my reality since we’ve been here.”

“Unless your coming here put our two realities on the same rate of flow again,” Banner said.

“My head hurts now,” Loki groaned. “There are still too many unanswered variables and nothing I can think of could alter the flow of time between our two realities so drastically. Except for maybe the Time Stone but…” he trailed off as a new thought began to form.

“But…?” Rogers inquired.

“I told you of how, in my time, in order for us to reverse the Snap we had to collect the Infinity Stones from different points in time. Three of those Stones were in New York but getting the Tesseract didn’t go quite as planned.”

“How so?”

“Tony screwed up.”

“Excuse me?” Stark exclaimed.

“Long story short,” Loki continued, “the ‘me’ of that branch took the Tesseract and escaped _but_ he still ended up back in Asgard and from what I can gather, that timeline corrected itself to match ours.”

“How does that have anything to do with this?”

“The idea was, travel through time to obtain the Stones and use them to reverse the Snap then return them to the exact moment they were taken. There were flaws with the plan but we didn’t have much of a choice. After failing to procure the Tesseract in 2012, they went further back to try again.”

“Again, how does that affect what is happening now?”

“What if removal of the Time Stone was the catalyst for the split and the change in the outcome of the battle along with why it’s only been months for you and years for us.”

“But we’re still talking about a Stone, right?” Barton asked.

“The Infinity Stones are more than just objects of great power,” Frigga said. “They are the very forces which created the universe. Without them our reality, _any_ reality, would have never come about.”

“So what happens to them in one reality affects another?” Stark asked.

“No, not in the way you’re thinking.”

“But removing them from their point in time could create a new branch of reality,” said Loki.

“You said you guys returned the Stones to their rightful times, right?” asked Stark.

“Not as such,” Loki admitted. “They sent themselves back.”

“The Stones are not sentient,” Frigga said.

“Not alone but if they’re brought together in the proper vessel they return to what they once were.”

“The entity and its original vessel was destroyed eons ago. That’s why the Stones themselves even exist.”

“Right, however they have other vessels they can possess.”

“The Infinity Gauntlet would not allow them to be sentient.”

“I don’t mean the gauntlet.”

“You’re talking about a living being,” Thor said suddenly.

Frigga gasped, “Dear Norns, that would kill whoever tried to possess them.”

“The same goes for the Gauntlet,” Loki pointed out, “ _unless_ that person was born to wield them.”

Frigga’s eyes bulged. “You _found_ such a person?”

“It was an accident but it helped us repair the damage to our reality.” Loki thought it best to keep the knowledge that _he_ was that person to himself for the moment.

“We still don’t know how this information helps us,” Rogers said.

“If we could find the Stones, couldn’t we use them to get Loki and Morgan back to their reality while also reversing the damage Thanos has done here,” Romanov asked.

Loki sighed, he’d briefly entertained that thought but he wasn’t sure the reward outweighed the risk. “They would have that power, yes.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask but how hard would it be to collect them?” questioned Rogers.

“More difficult than I would like,” replied Loki. “I don’t know where it was Jane Foster found the Aether.” Which brought his mind back to why he had originally been asked to Frigga’s quarters. “If we can make contact with my reality we might be able to find out.” He turned back to Frigga. “What does your spell entail, exactly?”

“Is the mirror supposed to do that?” Barton asked suddenly.

Frigga’s voice was confused, “What?”

Like her, Loki cast his gaze to her large, floor length mirror. Runes began to form, shimmering along the outer edges. Loki stepped closer as the mirror became clouded. Morgan pressed herself against his side.

“Are you doing this?”

Both he and Frigga answered in the negative though as Loki read the slowly forming runes, he recognized his mother’s writing. “It seems my reality beat us to it,” Loki said. The mirror cleared and Loki couldn’t hold back his grin. “Hello brother.”

* * *

_2024_

Thor knew he was grinning like an idiot. He hadn’t realized just how frightened for Loki and Morgan he had been until he felt that fear dissipate. It wasn’t gone completely, no, he wouldn’t stop worrying until they were both home safe. Even then, he may end up annoying his brother from constant hovering.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

Morgan’s excited exclamation had both Tony and Pepper rushing towards the mirror. “Morgan, baby are you okay?” Pepper knelt in front of the mirror, her eyes roved over her daughter looking for any sigh of injury.

“I’m okay, but mommy,” Morgan pointed to the people gathered behind her, “they hurted Ki!”

Thor saw _himself_ flinch. It wasn’t just a duplicate of himself he saw in the mirror, but doppelgängers of his mother and friends as well.

Morgan frowned and her head whipped back and forth, eyes taking in the doubles of Tony, Thor and Frigga. “Hey how comes there’s two of youz?”

Loki sat on the floor beside Morgan. He patted the space next to him and Morgan sat too. “Do you remember how I said that something happened here to change things?” Morgan nodded. “Well that thing brought us to a place where there are…” he paused. “You remember when Batman went to the world where there were two of him?”

Multiple looks of surprise met his words from the people on the other side of the mirror. “Did you just reference an episode of _Justice League_?” Stark asked in astonishment.

“I’m telling you Thor, we’re banning you brother from watching TV,” Tony groaned.

“The one where Batman was the bad guy?” Morgan asked.

“Yes that’s happened to us but,” Loki added quickly, “without every one being bad guys.”

Morgan scowled as she glanced back at the people behind her. “I don’ know Ki. They was _really_ mean and they still gotz to kiss your butt.”

Thor snorted, “Why do I feel there’s a story there?”

“One for another time perhaps,” Loki replied. His demeanor became serious. “What happened? How much time has passed?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” replied Jane. “Somehow the devices tore open the barrier between realities just enough for you to slip through. You did try to teleport away at the same time the machines exploded, right?”

“Yes,” Loki confirmed. “How much time has passed?”

“You have been gone for just over two weeks,” Thor replied.

“That’s good.”

“How is that good?”

“This reality isn’t in line with ours,” answered Loki, “the year here is 2012 and that’s not all.”

“Not just an alternate reality but time travel too?” Jane exclaimed.

It was the alternate version of his mother who answered. “Time travel is not a factor. Something else is the cause of the discrepancy between our realities.”

Tony shook his head. “Son of a bitch.”

“Daddy,” Morgan chastised.

“Sorry Morgoona. The Time Stone.”

“What about the Time Stone?” asked Thor.

Tony didn’t answer his question. Instead, he asked one of his own. “I’m guessing New York happened right.” Those on the other side of the mirror nodded. “How long has it been since then?”

“A couple of months,” Banner answered.

Realization entered Loki’s green eyes. “Son of a bitch.”

_“Loki!”_

Thor, his brother and his alternate self all flinched at the dual chastisement of the Frigga’s.

“Sorry,” Loki said. He turned his attention to Tony. “It can’t be that easy.”

“It makes the most sense.”

“Hello,” Stark called. “What does this Time Stone have to do with any of this?”

“It would explain the discrepancies between our two realities, in so far as to why my reality is twelve years ahead of yours,” Loki replied.

“How so?” Banner asked.

“We went through time only a few months ago,” Tony explained.

“That must have been the catalyst,” Jane said. “It’s not so much an alternate reality but an offshoot of this one.”

“One that started twelve years in your past?” Romanov asked.

“Except that it wouldn’t have been our past, at least not at the point we were there,” Tony said. 

“It would have been your present,” Banner finished. “From that point on it would have ceased to be your past.”

“Exactly.”

“My head hurts,” Thor said. His alternate echoed the sentiment.

“You didn’t happen to use the Aether as part of your research, did you?” Loki suddenly asked Jane.

Jane’s eyes widened and a flush darkened her cheeks.

“Seriously!” Tony cried. “Is there anything _else_ you’ve forgotten to mention?”

“The Space Stone, the Convergence, the Bifröst and the Reality Stone,” Loki sighed.

“Don’t forget the ARC Reactor,” Tony added. “ARC Reactor technology was based off the Tesseract.”

“Of course it was,” Loki’s tone dripped sarcasm. “Wait,” he exclaimed, “three forces that can create travel to long distances, one that manipulates reality and one that breaks the barriers between Realms.” His green eyes bore into Jane. “You thought putting all of those together in your devices was a good idea?”

For a moment, Jane appeared sheepish before her spine stiffened. “My research could change how we look, not just at space travel, but quantum physics itself. Instantaneous travel from one point to another. My calculations will require some fine tuning but I do believe I can still make it work.”

“Morgan,” Loki said. A small intricate dagger appeared in his hand. Thor recognized it as one of Morgan’s. “When we get home,” Loki handed Morgan her dagger, “you can stab Miss Foster.”

Thor wasn’t quite sure if he should be worried by her look of excitement.

“I thought we’d agreed you weren’t going to teach my daughter how to inflict serious bodily harm until she was older,” Pepper said.

“I think we can make an exception,” Tony replied.

“Stabbings aside, any ideas on how to send you guys back home?” Stark asked.

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” Tony replied.

That was so weird. As strange as that was, nothing could quite compare to hearing his own voice ask, “What about the devices which brought you here originally?”

“They were destroyed in the explosion. Anyway, I’m not sure I’d want to try them either. We were lucky they didn’t rip a hole in reality.”

“Besides,” Banner added, “trying to recreate the circumstances that brought them here in the first place might end up doing more harm than good. Another thing is it would be pointless to try from their side.”

“Why is that?” asked Rogers.

“Because of Loki’s teleporting ability. That was one of the factors that allowed them to come here. From the sound of it, the devices thinned the barrier. If we were to try recreating the circumstances that brought them here, we would have to do it from our side.”

“There is also no guarantee we would end up in our reality,” Loki said.

“There is that.”

“From the sound of things, it seems like the best way to try sending them back would be to collect these Infinity Stones,” Rogers said.

Banner nodded. “From what we’ve been told about them they do seem like the best solution.”

“Problem,” Stark said. “We have no idea where any of them are, besides the one,” he pointed to Loki, “his twin has down on Earth.”

Morgan gasped, her eyes going wide and mouth dropping open.

“Morgan, sweetie, what is it?” his mother asked.

Morgan stood and turned to the younger version of her father. “There’s two Ki’s here?”

Stark blinked in confusion, “uh… yeah.”

A look of absolute excitement overcame Morgan’s expression. She crawled into Loki’s lap, grabbed his face and squished his cheeks together. Her nose nearly touched his. “Two Ki’s,” she repeated.

Loki tried to reply through his squished lips. Thor thought he might have said, “yes,” but he wasn’t entirely sure.

Loki gently pulled her hands from his cheeks. “Remember before we came here and you saw me on TV?” Morgan nodded. “That was the me from this reality.”

“Morgan, no, you can’t kidnap another Loki,” Tony moaned.

Morgan leaned back, excitement replaced with worry when she turned to them. “But daddy, my other Ki is sick.”

“Morgan—”

“The Bad Man hurted him.”

Thor felt the same flash of horror he was sure the others felt upon the realization that Thanos was still a threat in that reality.

“Morgan,” Loki said, drawing her attention, “it may take some time but I am going to find a way to get you home.”

Her expression became one of fear. “What about you?”

“I’m going to go home too, but I want to try and save the other me.”

“Promise?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“No.” Morgan curled up in Loki’s lap.

His brother wrapped his arms around their niece. “I’m not going to leave you sweetie.”

“So, interdimensional travel,” Thor said, breaking the silence that had fallen, “how hard can it be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nat’s “Moy bog” is “my God” in Russian. I tried putting in the Russian characters but my word processor didn’t have them and copy/pasting threw off the formatting.


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and team hatch a plan to send him and Morgan back to their reality. They return to Earth, leaving Morgan in Pepper’s care. Loki, Thor and Stark track down the Aether while the rest of the Avengers return to SHIELD. King Loki contemplates his life choices.

**_Nine_ **

_2012_

“This is some bullshit,” Stark moaned as he read and then reread the calculations he had been given. He turned his gaze to the mirror that connected the two realities and asked, “How the hell did you ever come up with these calculations?”

With the connection between the realities established, no one wanted to risk breaking it and be unable to reestablish it again. The Frigga’s (Loki’s mother and not mother? Mother and alternate mother? Mother and mother? Ah so confusing!) had been conversing quietly with one another for quite a while, working on a way to keep the realities connected while also allowing for them to return to Midgard to continue their research.

“Years of research,” Dr. Foster replied.

“Apparently not enough,” Tony quipped.

“Your sarcasm is not helping,” Dr. Foster remarked drily.

“But it is refreshing,” Loki said. He cracked an eye from where he lay on the floor, his feet propped up on one of Frigga’s stools. He didn’t dare move too much since Morgan was currently using his stomach as a pillow.

The past few hours had been nothing but the trading of information with Loki and those on his side of the mirror explaining everything that had happened in this reality. Dr. Foster had, somehow, given Stark the calculations she had been working with. It was… a lot to take in to say the least.

“This would be a lot easier if I had access to my computers,” Stark said. “Half of these calculations make no sense. I have absolutely no idea how you ever managed to get the damn things to turn on, let alone function.”

“I’ve been pouring over this shit for over two weeks,” Tony groaned. “I’ve even had F.R.I.D.A.Y. running the problem with no luck and she’s the smartest computer in the world.”

“What happened to JARVIS?”

Color entered Tony’s cheeks. “Accidently built a killer robot and ended up blending Jay’s programming with the Mind Stone.”

“You built a killer robot?” Rogers asked.

Loki cocked an eyebrow. He and Tony had been friends for years and he had yet to hear the story of a so-called “killer robot”. Granted they’d had much more pressing matters to worry about when they’d met once again in space, Loki being “dead” and all. He supposed after everything, it just never came up. Sounded intriguing.

“Yeah,” Tony rubbed the back of his neck, “after New York I realized we were _woefully_ unprepared for another attack. We got lucky in our victory and so I began to research a way to defend Earth from any future attacks. Ended up biting myself in the ass with that one.”

“Well Reindeer Games over there has been telling us that he let you guys win.”

“Thinking back on it, I can’t say I’m surprised. Pretty sure if Merlin had actually been trying we’d have had our asses handed to us.”

“Merlin?”

“Beats Reindeer Games.”

Loki let his head drop back to the floor and closed his eyes once again. He felt himself begin to doze and didn’t fight the sensation. He had been running himself ragged since the conference, between keeping Morgan safe and trying to track down Thor and Tony along with having to deal with being mistaken for his alternate self. Loki was _tired_.

His slumber was interrupted by someone sitting down next to him. Loki cracked an eye to see that it was Romanov who had disturbed him. “Did you need something Agent Romanov?”

“Huh? No, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She gestured to something out of his sight. “I just wanted a better seat.”

Glancing over to the mirror, he saw the Tony’s continuing their back and forth.

“Gives new meaning to the phrase ‘talking to yourself’ doesn’t it?”

Loki nodded half-heartedly, his eyes dropping closed again. Unfortunately, he was unable to return to his light doze. Instead, his mind began to focus on his alternate self. The Loki of this reality was still trapped within Thanos’s snare. He began to run through different scenarios in dealing with that. Loki wanted to save the him of this world. He just had no idea how difficult such a task would be.

The first thing they would have to do would be to get the scepter away from him. If they could break the mind-link between that Loki and The Other, it would go a long way to freeing him. Convincing his other self such a thing was possible would be tricky as well. He could always use the spell to bring forth memories but instead of pulling that Loki’s memories to the forefront Loki would share his memories instead. It was something to consider.

“I have to ask, why did you build Loki a suit of armor?” Stark asked his counterpart.

That drew Loki’s attention. He realized attempting to get any rest was a futile effort while the scientists worked.

Tony shrugged, “Loki’s family. I made one for Thor too.”

“Really?” Thor asked.

“Yes,” his brother replied, moving towards the mirror and pulling a small object out of his pocket. “He even etched in Mjölnir’s engravings.”

“You and that hammer,” Loki said.

“I miss my hammer,” sighed his Thor.

Thor’s doppelgänger gasped. “What are you talking about? It wasn’t...” Color entered the man’s cheeks. “It wasn’t _taken_ was it?”

“It wasn’t _stolen,_ ” Loki said, “if that’s what you mean.”

He heard Tony chortle and a wide grin split his lips. Loki’s words drew the attention of the others in the room. “Your fancy hammer was stolen?” Stark asked. “I thought only the ‘worthy’ could lift it.”

“Correct,” the younger Thor said quickly. Much too quickly to be believed. “Only those Mjölnir deems worthy can lift her.”

“So… how was it stolen then?” Barton asked.

“That’s not the question you need to ask,” Tony said. “What you should ask him is how he got it back.”

“At the time, Mjölnir hadn’t been enchanted, so anyone could pick her up,” Loki explained. He exchanged a look with his brother in the mirror. “Deer in the headlights” perfectly described the look on the younger Thor’s face.

“We marched on the villain’s home and took it back,” declared the younger Thor.

Again, Loki shared a look with his brother. “Don’t bother,” Thor told his counterpart. “I’ve lost count of how many times Loki has told the story.”

“It is Morgan’s favorite bedtime story,” Tony said. “Of course now that Merlin made that book for her we hear it at _least_ once a day, sometimes more.”

“Which reminds me, I need to add the one about the cat,” Loki said.

His brother covered his face with a hand. “The cat? You told Morgan about the cat?”

The younger Thor’s head was whipping back and forth so fast Loki feared he’d give himself whiplash.

Barton walked closer to the mirror. “How’d you get the hammer back?” he asked Thor.

“He got married,” Loki replied.

“I did _not_ get married,” Thor sighed, “but we did fake a wedding.”

“You know, I’ve wondered about that,” Tony said. His gaze found Loki. “If you can change other people’s shapes, why didn’t you just turn Thor into a woman?”

“Where would have been the fun in that?” Loki asked.

“Ah yes, big blurry strong man in delicate wedding dress. I see your point.”

“Why would you tell them that?” the younger Thor shrieked.

Loki winced. “Wow, Thor, I didn’t realize you could hit such octaves.”

“Neither did I,” his brother replied. He rolled his eyes at his double. “I don’t let it bother me anymore. Loki’s told Morgan just about every embarrassing story about me. He also did turn me into a woman for Halloween.”

“That was all Morgan’s idea,” Loki said.

“Yeah, he kinda did it to me too,” Tony said, “and that wasn’t Morgan’s idea.”

“But she still had fun and so did all of the other children there.”

“The cat?” Thor asked again.

“Needed some new material.”

“Why do you no longer have Mjölnir?” Younger Thor asked, changing the subject.

Thor’s shoulders drooped. “She was destroyed.”

“What?” the younger Thor exclaimed, his hand instinctively grabbing the hammer at his belt. “How?”

Loki really needed to find a way to distinguish the two Thor’s in his head. “Thor” and “Younger Thor” just wasn’t cutting it. This Thor, that Thor? Ah forget it; he was too tired for this shit.

“Hela,” Loki said, “broke Mjölnir apart with her bare hand.”

Frigga gasped, her head whipping around to face him. “Did you say Hela?”

“Who’s Hela?” Romanov asked.

“Homicidal older sister that we didn’t learn about until…”

“…about two minutes before she showed up,” Thor finished. “Goddess of Death, wanted to rule Asgard, tried to kill us and wanted to continue conquering the Realms again. Didn’t think Nine was enough.”

“Your older sister?” Younger Thor asked Loki.

“Ah no, yours actually. Turns out _you’re_ not Odin’s first born. Genetically she’d be my cousin. Oh, don’t forget her zombie army.”

“‘Zombie army’?” the younger Avengers echoed in question.

Loki shrugged as much as he could while lying on the floor. “There’s a whole tomb underneath the palace.” He turned his gaze over to the mirror to look at his brother. “Was the wolf down there too?”

Thor shrugged, “Probably. Did you see the mural in the throne room?”

“No, I was too busy racing to release Sutur so everyone didn’t die.”

“Ah, good point.”

“Sutur?” exclaimed the younger Thor. “That would have brought about Ragnarök.”

Loki pointed a finger gun at him, “exactly.”

“Sounds like you guys have had a blast,” Stark said drily.

Thor tapped on the mirror, “I’m sure you’ve all noticed my right eye is different.” The others nodded. “That’s because Hela ripped out my real eye.”

All color had drained from the younger Thor’s face and yet he appeared on the verge of a stroke with veins bulging in his neck and forehead. Loki found it funny for some reason. Maybe because he and Thor could talk about Hela so nonchalantly while the younger version of his brother was having a complete freak out.

“As… _educational_ as all this has been,” Rogers interrupted, “how does any of that help us?”

“It doesn’t,” Tony said. He scratched at his beard. “Okay, so, I’m thinking we need to split each factor up. The Aether, Tesseract, Convergence and Bifröst data should be put into their own categories.”

“That defeats the purpose of the devices,” Dr. Foster argued.

“We’re not trying to rebuild them,” Tony reminded her.

“What are you trying to do, exactly?” Rogers asked.

The Tony’s, Dr. Foster and Banner all exchanged looks. Loki let his head fall back to the floor. “You’ve spent the better part of the last four hours poring over those equations and none of you knew what you were even looking for?”

“I want to make the system work,” Dr. Foster said. “The technology has too much potential to simply give up on it.”

“Your _technology_ tore open the barrier between realties. _Not_ something we want to recreate. We’ve already had things go sideways when we went through time for the Stones. I’d rather not risk something like, oh say, Thanos finding his way to our reality again.”

“Then what we need to do is track down these Stones instead,” Banner said.

“Easier said than done,” Stark reminded them. “We only know where the one Stone is.”

“Actually, I know where most of them are,” Loki said. “Or where they’ll end up.”

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” Rogers asked.

Loki carefully slid out from under Morgan, conjuring a pillow to place under her head. He stretched, his back popping, then stood. “Because collecting the Stones comes at great risk. _Using_ them even more so.”

“How do you mean?”

“Anyone who uses the full might of the Stones risks death. Thanos wielded them in order to instantly wipe out half of all life in the universe with nothing more than a snap of his fingers. The second time he used them, he used their power to destroy them. Both times Thanos nearly died.”

“If these things kill their wielder, then what made Thanos so special, especially if he’s not considered a vessel?” Stark asked.

“Thanos comes from a powerful race. Titan was not just the name of his planet; it’s the name of his species. They are God-like but they are not gods. It’s the only thing that saved him.”

“What about individually? How great is the risk to a person if they only use one Stone?”

“It depends on the Stone,” Loki replied.

“The Aether will cause problems,” said his brother.

“Same goes with the Soul Stone,” Tony added.

“Would we need all of them?” asked Barton.

Loki thought about it for a moment. “No, we wouldn’t need all of them. The most important ones we may need are the Space Stone and the Reality Stone.”

“Which doesn’t help us at all since those are two that we don’t know the location of,” said Stark.

Loki turned his attention to the mirror. “Dr. Foster, do you remember where it was you encountered the Aether?”

“It’s hard to say,” she replied. “When I accidentally found it, I had been tracking several spatial anomalies.”

“The Convergence was once more coming into alignment,” Thor added. “The barriers between the Realms were beginning to thin.”

“But they weren’t consistent.”

“Where were you when you encountered the portal?” Loki asked.

“England.”

“Exactly _where_ in England?”

* * *

The following morning found Loki and company preparing to return to Midgard. They had the beginnings of a plan and they hoped they could completely flesh it out over the next couple of days. Sometime during the night, his mother (mothers?) had found a way to keep their realities in contact while on Midgard so the scientists could continue their work.

Morgan had been quiet all morning, something that was rather unusual for the four year old. At breakfast, she had left her seat and crawled into his lap. Her behavior worried Loki a bit.

Loki gently tickled her side. “What’s wrong sweetie?” Morgan turned her face into his chest with a soft whine. He was distracted by Stark and the others entering the small dining hall. He caught their concerned gazes as they sat.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Romanov gently.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” Loki tried to get Morgan to look up at him but to no avail. “Morgan?”

“I don’ want you to leave,” Morgan whined.

Loki sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. “I’m not going to be gone for long.”

“I wanna go with you.”

“I know you do but,” he finally managed to coax her into lifting her head, “ _I_ don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m not gonna.”

Loki hugged her, wishing he could better alleviate her fear. “I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Once more, she buried her face against his chest. Loki let out a soft sigh and continued his meal.

“We won’t let anything happen to Loki,” Romanov said in a reassuring voice.

Morgan turned her head just enough so that she could be heard clearly. “Youz all hurted Ki before.”

The expressions on the Avengers faces turned sheepish. “We made a mistake,” Rogers said. “Loki isn’t who we thought he was.”

Unconvinced, Morgan turned away from them and wrapped her arms around his torso.

At a loss of what to do, the Avengers ate their meal in silence. It remained that way until Stark asked, “Have we thought about how we’re going to get the Tesseract away from you know who?”

“I suspect he has it with him on Sanctuary. Although if he is traveling it’ll be aboard _Sanctuary II_ ,” Loki said.

“Sanctuary?” Barton asked.

“Not at all what it sounds like.”

“After what you showed us the other night, I wouldn’t think so,” said Banner.

“The easiest way would have been via Bifröst,” Thor said. “Unfortunately it will be years before it is repaired.”

“It didn’t take that long in my reality,” Loki said. “After this we should ask Thor how they repaired it so quickly. My Thor,” he added.

“You don’t know?”

“I was otherwise occupied.”

The others seemed to understand what he meant.

“Actually, that reminds me,” Stark put a small round object on the table. “Your mom, or moms, figured out how to keep us connected while also allowing us to travel.”

The crystal had a soft glow about it. Inside its smooth surface, Loki could see into his reality. They must have returned to Midgard the previous night as he could see doctors Foster, Banner and Selvig bent over something. Tony glanced back at the orb and made a throttling gesture.

Tony turned so his back was to the others. He began to sign. _After this is over, we are_ definitely _hiding bodies._

Loki chuckled and replied as best he could with Morgan in his lap. _Don’t tell Morgan. She’ll want to help._

_I may even let her._

_I won’t tell Pepper if you don’t._

_Deal._

“I’m curious,” Barton said, “but at the same time I don’t want to know.”

A look of concern crossed Tony’s face. “What’s wrong Morgoona?”

Loki lowered his hands and spoke to the orb. “She’s upset that she can’t come with me to find the Aether. Is Thor there?”

There was almost an echoing quality to Tony’s voice when he replied. “Yeah, your parents strong armed the councilors into letting him leave. Hold on…” Tony looked at something outside of Loki’s view. “Yo, Point Break! Phones for you.”

A moment later Thor appeared in the orb. Loki caught the tail end of his brother’s eye roll at Tony’s words. “How are you?”

“Much better now that we have a plan,” replied Loki. “We were wondering how it was the Bifröst was restored so quickly. It would be the best method to pursue the Tesseract.”

Thor’s eyes briefly focused on Morgan before replying. “Right, you mentioned the Tesseract isn’t on Midgard anymore. Heimdall used the Tesseract’s power to restore the Bifröst. I don’t know of any other way to speed up the process.”

His words caught the attention of both Tony’s. “Is power all you need?” Tony asked.

Thor looked back at him. “It’s magic beyond my understanding,” Thor replied, “but if I had to guess, yes.”

“I suppose it makes sense,” Loki said, thinking about it. “Of course, the sole purpose of Bifröst is to allow for travel near instantaneously across the Realms. The power of the Space Stone, its ability to do the same thing, may have helped restore Bifröst as well.”

“Part of the bridge is still there, right?” Stark asked.

“Yes.”

“As it stands, it’ll take a number of years to repair, right?”

“Several decades,” replied the younger Thor.

“But it would eventually be repaired to full functionality?” Tony asked.

Loki had a feeling he understood where they were going with this. “Yes. I can practically hear the gears turning in your head Tony. What are you thinking?”

“The ARC Reactor was designed from studying the Tesseract. If all you need is power to restore the bridge then why not use that?”

“It could work,” Stark said, “the only issue would be bringing a portable reactor here and figuring out just how much power would be needed to do the job.”

“We might already have that,” Tony replied, reaching for a stack of papers. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. managed to break down the equations into each individual factor. If we can isolate the portion of Tesseract data that only deals with transportation we may be able to augment the ARC Reactor just enough to repair Bifröst without the cube.”

“Any idea how long that will take?” Rogers asked.

“Not a clue right now. Besides, I’m working with slightly more advanced tech than you have at the moment. I will need to go back to tech I was using twelve years ago.” He gestured to the people behind him with his head. “Don’t want anything to blow up on you.”

“I can hear you,” Dr. Foster said.

“What’s your point?”

Tony and Dr. Foster began to argue back and forth in much softer tones than Loki was expecting. Turning his attention back to the current occupant of his lap, he once more poked her gently in her side. Morgan twitched. “You do realize I will need to get up at some point.”

Morgan shook her head. “Nuh uh.”

“Uh huh.”

“Nuh uh,” she repeated, wiggling her bony butt against his thighs as she somehow settled further against him.

“I will only be gone for a few hours, perhaps a day or two at the most. Don’t you want to see what your mommy was like before you were born?”

“You can’t leave,” she replied petulantly.

“I have to sweetie if we want to get back home.” He lightly tickled her side again. “You can’t stay mad at me forever.”

Morgan let out a sigh as if she had the weight of the Realms on her tiny shoulders. “I’m not mad at you Ki. I just don’ want nothing bad to happen to you.”

“I would promise that nothing will, but sometimes things do not always go as planned. The Aether is dangerous, yes, but I have a way to contain it so that it can’t hurt anyone.” He prodded at her until she finally sat up enough so he could see her face. “How about this, I will get a phone that works and call you every day until I return?”

Morgan pouted, quite adorably. “Promise?”

“Yes.”

“No phone.”

“Simulacrum?”

Morgan nodded. “Every day?”

“Of course.”

“And I gets a story too?”

“Whatever one you want.”

Morgan held up a hand, all the fingers but for the pinky curled. Loki hooked her pinky with his. “Okay.” Satisfied, Morgan turned in his lap and finally continued to eat her, or rather _his_ , breakfast.

When Loki returned his attention to the others, he was met with looks of surprise. “What?”

“I saw it and I still can’t believe it,” Barton said.

“That was real?” asked Rogers the archer.

“It could have been an illusion,” Banner suggested.

Romanov did a poor job of hiding a smile behind her hand and Thor shook his head. “All of your bad habits, huh?” Thor asked.

“Dude!” exclaimed Stark, “you were just extorted by a four year old!”

* * *

The return trip to Midgard was rather uneventful. It was decided that Stark’s home in Malibu would be their arrival point, especially since Loki didn’t know the location of the SHIELD installation they had originally left from. Stark gathered what items he needed from his laboratory while Loki helped settle Morgan in. Pepper appeared a little uncertain about taking care of a child but Loki reminded her that she already had practice with Stark and that she would be fine. His words earned him a soft laugh.

Strangely enough, it hadn’t taken much convincing on their part for Pepper to believe he was not the same Loki who had caused so much damage to their world. It eased a fear within Loki he hadn’t realized was still there until it had disappeared. Loki had given Morgan his phone to keep for the time being so she could watch the movies he had downloaded onto it.

“You be good for Lady Pepper,” Loki said to Morgan as he readied to depart.

“I’ll be good for mommy,” Morgan replied solemnly.

That was another thing Loki had taken a bit of enjoyment in, watching Stark flounder as he tried to explain to Pepper that Morgan was their daughter from another reality, not a child he’d had with some random woman. Pepper’s wrath was indeed a sight to behold. It had also made him miss his surrogate sister _fiercely._

“I will call you later, okay.”

Morgan hugged him tightly and for a moment, Loki reconsidered his options. They would need the Aether if he and Morgan were going to get home. He’d warned Odin and Frigga that removing the Aether would awaken the Dark Elves and that Asgard would need to prepare.

Luckily, since the Convergence was still a year away the Dark Elves would remain trapped on Svartalfheim. So long as that was where they actually were. They did have interstellar ships but since they weren’t going to take the Aether to Asgard, the Realm Eternal would hopefully remain safe for the time being.

“I love you Ki.”

Loki pressed his lips together, everything in him railing against leaving her behind. “I love you too Morgan.” He gave her one last hug and a kiss before he, very reluctantly, followed Stark from the house. The rest of the Avengers had gathered around the Impala Loki had left behind when he’d first arrived at the house.

“There are no keys,” Romanov said as they approached the vehicle.

“I know, I had to use my seiðr to get it to start,” replied Loki. The car started with a wave of his hand.

“Nice,” Barton said.

“This isn’t your car,” Rogers pointed out.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “I’m from another reality, Captain; of course it’s not my car.”

“You stole it,” Banner asked.

“Norns don’t tell Morgan that,” Loki laughed. “I told her we were borrowing without permission.”

Stark snorted. “You know, I’m beginning to see why you and I are friends in your reality.”

“Drives Thor crazy sometimes.”

“Why would that be?” asked the Thor of this reality.

“Have you already forgotten the back and forth on Asgard?”

Thor winced, “right.”

“We will return to SHIELD and inform Fury of our plan while you three go after the Aether,” Rogers said.

“Hopefully by the time we return the other Stark will have figured out how to repair Bifröst so that we can begin to track down Thanos,” said Thor.

“Good luck.”

“You too,” Loki replied. “If you can, find out where my alternate is. I know there is a way to save him, we just need to find him first.” Rogers nodded and climbed into the passenger side of the car. Romanov adjusted the rearview mirror and Barton leaned over the seat from the back, while Banner slouched. “Don’t scratch my car!” Loki called as they began to drive away. Romanov waved and he thought Barton had given him the finger.

“So England?” Stark asked. “We’re going to teleport there, aren’t we?”

“It is the fastest method of travel.”

“Right, beam us up Scotty.”

Thor gave Stark a confused look. “His name isn’t Scotty.”

Rolling his eyes, Loki grabbed onto the other two men and transported them to the other side of the world. When they stopped, Stark took a breath to steady himself. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

Thor walked on ahead. “Your Jane said that she stumbled upon the portal to where the Aether rests while exploring an abandoned factory.”

“Yes, of course she doesn’t recall exactly which one. At least she was able to tell us what set of buildings it was.” A green orb appeared before Loki. It split into several smaller orbs, which flew away from them. “I’m hoping the portal she found is a natural portal and not one that was solely created by the Convergence.”

“That’s possible?” Stark asked.

Loki nodded. “Yes. There are many natural paths within each Realm. Some are easier to find than others, the Bermuda Triangle for example.”

“Huh, where does that lead?”

Loki shrugged. “No idea. I’ve never traveled through it.”

One of the orbs began to glow brighter. Loki gestured towards it and together the three of them followed the orb into a building that was in desperate need of repair. They traveled up several flights of stairs and down many corridors, following the orb, which continued to glow brighter and brighter, the closer to the portal they went.

Loki stopped abruptly as the amount of power coming from the portal hit him full force. “It’s this way.”

“You’re sure?” Stark asked.

“Even I can feel its power,” Thor said.

Loki took the lead and held his hands out to the other two men. “Shall we?”

* * *

King Loki. Each time he heard the title it made him want to vomit. He had never wanted to be king, not really. He stood gazing out over the ruined city of New York as the sun dipped below the horizon. Loki had never wanted _any_ of this. He’d been led to believe he did but something had changed a couple of weeks ago. The haze he had seemingly been floating in had begun to lift. It was also when the dreams had started.

Sighing, he turned away from the window and moved further into the unfinished apartment. The building had once belonged to the Man of Iron and the only reason Loki occupied it now was to monitor the device on the roof. The Other was becoming more and more demanding and Loki feared they would somehow reactivate the device and send more troops through. Its _master_ wanted the other Stone that was apparently hidden somewhere on Midgard. Loki hoped it was never found.

A commotion in the stairwell drew his attention. He took hold of the scepter and made his way to the front of the room. He had left instructions not to be disturbed. He would gut whichever soldier had disobeyed his order.

To his surprise, it was not one of the Chitauri that left the stairwell, but a Midgardian man dragging a small child beside him. There was fear in the little girl’s eyes but also defiance. Loki’s chest constricted, he had seen that child before.

When her eyes fell on him, they widened in surprise. “Ki!”

“Shut up,” hissed the man holding her arm. “Holding” was too gentle a term. He yanked her forward, causing the child to let out a cry of pain.

“What is this?” Loki demanded.

“I’ve come to propose a deal,” the man replied.

Loki laughed. “And what led you to believe I would make a deal with you?”

The man smirked and Loki wanted to wipe it from the man’s face. He pulled out a handgun, making a show of switching off the safety. “You have been rather active lately and _always_ had this kid with you. Now I don’t know about you but I have absolutely no qualms about blowing her head off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger... bye! *disappears in a human shaped cloud, looney tunes style*


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki storms the SHIELD facility demanding Morgan’s location. King Loki remembers there is such a thing as unconditional love and the two Loki’s meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I think things are going to go as planned, Loki freaking throws away the script. _Stop doing that!_ *watches mournfully as my original outline goes up in flames*
> 
> I say that because I've had to add _another_ chapter. 😑
> 
> Quick question, has anyone else watched the alternate version of the boys meeting Odin in Ragnarok? I ran across it today and Odin freaking claimed Loki as his, no if's and's or but's and I _loved_ it!
> 
> Tissue warning ahead, just saying.

**_Ten_ **

Ominous perfectly described the location the natural portal had taken them. It was dark, cavernous and the sound of shifting rock sent chills up his spine. Loki was unable to suppress the shiver that ran through him.

“Love what they’ve done with the place,” quipped Stark.

“Where are we?” asked Thor.

“Svartalfheim, I think,” Loki replied. His eyes fell on a large obelisk with a small line of red running through it. His next shiver had nothing to do with their location and everything to do with the Infinity Stone hidden within.

Stark’s faceplate opened, “There’s a Stone in there?”

Loki carefully stepped closer and peered inside the slit. The Aether swirled within. “This does match the description Dr. Foster gave to us.”

“Don’t get too close,” Thor reminded him. “Jane said the Aether went _in_ to her.”

Loki called forth the containment device he had built, identical to the one he had made years ago in his reality. “That’s what this is for. We’ll need to coax it out first.” He looked back at the other two. “Your weapons won’t do any damage to it but if needed they will slow it down.”

Thor pulled Mjölnir from his belt and Stark closed his faceplate, his repulsors charging. Loki stepped up to the obelisk. He took a breath to steady his nerves, it didn’t help. _Please don’t possess me,_ he thought. _Please don’t possess me._

Tentatively, he stretched out a hand. The red glow within the obelisk became brighter for a moment before the Aether shot towards him. Loki reared back in shock, dropping the box he held and letting out a cry as it wrapped itself around his arm. _No, no, no, no, no!_

_“Loki!”_ Thor and Stark yelled.

Loki didn’t feel any different. He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until he heard his name again. “Loki? Loki are you all right?” Thor asked.

He cracked an eye open and was surprised to find the Aether swirling lazily around his form. It wasn’t attacking him nor did it appear to be trying to possess him. Its previous containment field slammed shut, causing all three men to jump.

Loki looked back at the other two. He opened his mouth to speak when he heard a voice in his mind. _Beloved?_ The voice asked. _Yes, you are our beloved. Fear not beloved, we will not harm you._

“I’m all right,” Loki replied. “It… it won’t hurt me.”

“What’s it doing?” asked Stark.

Loki shrugged. He had no answer to Stark’s query. He turned his attention back to the Aether. _You know me?_ He asked it.

A twinkling laugh answered his question. _Of course, we know you beloved. You are not of this reality but we exist across_ all _realities. We have come together before._

Loki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. _Are you Infinity?_

_Yes, though we are but one piece of the whole. However, because we have come together within you before we need not all be gathered to speak with you._

_I need your help._

_You have it beloved._ That twinkling laugh echoed within his mind. _You can put your container away. There is no need for it._

They all watched as the Aether danced around him, one tendril reaching out to caress his cheek. It collapsed in on itself until it took on its form of the Reality Stone. It hovered over Loki’s outstretched hand and gently came to rest in his palm.

Stark’s voice broke the stunned silence. “What just happened?”

“Loki?” Thor asked, concerned.

Loki sighed, closing his hand around the Stone and sending it, and the container he’d built, to his dimensional pocket. “We have it,” Loki said, turning his gaze back to the two men. “Can’t you just leave it at that?”

“You’re hiding something.”

“It’s personal.” Loki really didn’t want to reveal that he was the Infinity Stones’ vessel. It was an ace he wanted to keep up his sleeve. “Besides, we have more important things to take care of. Now, I’m going to return to Midgard so unless you feel like staying here, I suggest you drop it.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Stark said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

By the expression on his face, it was apparent that Thor wanted to continue the conversation but had decided to drop it for now. They walked to the precipice and Loki led them back through the portal. They arrived on Midgard, the moon low in the western sky. They had been gone far longer than he’d expected. He was definitely going to need to grovel to Morgan.

Stark’s frantic voice drew his attention. Loki’s heart skipped when he took in the other man’s words.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa Pepper, slow down. I can’t… I can’t understand what you’re saying. Who took what?”

Loki and Thor exchanged looks of confusion.

“ _Who_ took her?”

Loki’s head whipped around and he rushed over to Stark’s side. “What happened?” Loki demanded.

“Someone took Morgan.”

“That’s not possible. F.R.I.D.A.Y. would have activated the suit to protect her.”

_“Mr. Loki.”_

Loki froze at F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the snake pin that held his armor. Morgan must have slipped it into his pocket when he hadn’t been paying attention.

Without thinking, Loki grabbed them and returned them to Malibu. The house was trashed and Pepper was pacing around the large living area. Her left eye was swollen shut and she sported several cuts and bruises. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

“I tried to stop them,” Pepper cried. “I’m so sorry. I-I tried—”

“Who took her?” Loki asked. He knew he needed to remain calm but his niece was missing and he had no idea where she was. No idea who had taken her or _where_ they were taking her. No idea if she was hurt. _Norns_ she must be terrified.

“I didn’t recognize any of the men but they all had SHIELD patches.”

* * *

King Loki continued to stare at the man standing before him. He let his eyes fall on the girl again. Tears ran silently down her cheeks but she glared defiantly up at her captor.

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” Loki said. He wracked his brain on how to free the girl from this man without traumatizing her any more than she already was. “You know my name but I have yet to hear yours.”

The man shrugged. “Brock Rumlow. I’ve been authorized to use any means to gain your attention. Figured your kid would do it.”

Loki decided to keep the man talking. Carefully, he seamlessly created an illusion of himself before the man while he slipped around him. “What is it you want?” he asked through his illusion.

Rumlow gestured with the gun. “Since you don’t have the cube anymore, my people and I will take that scepter. We’d take you too,” his smirk returned, “but we’re not greedy.”

“Ki’s gonna kick your butt,” the little girl stated confidently.

“Shut up,” Rumlow hissed, backhanding the girl.

The child cried out and fell to the ground from the blow. Loki took that moment to strike, gripping the man by the neck and teleporting them to the roof. He threw Rumlow to the ground. “I don’t know where you came up with your ridiculous idea but I will _not_ let you harm that child any further. You call _me_ a monster and yet it is _you_ which threatened to harm her.”

Rumlow scrambled to his feet. “I still have a deal to propose.”

“I don’t care.”

“Really? Not even if it will ensure your kid’s safety.”

Loki had no idea why the man kept insisting the girl was his, she wasn’t. Even so, if it was within his power to keep her safe, he would. Loki shrugged, affecting an air of nonchalance, “Fine, what do you have to offer?”

“You’re looking for something. We may be able to help you find it.”

“You have no idea what _it_ is.”

Rumlow shrugged, “Don’t care. We help you find what you’re looking for and you hand control of the Earth over to HYDRA.”

“HYRDA?” asked Loki. “You wish for a creature from Greek myth to rule your world?”

“I never said anything about a myth,” Rumlow replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. He pressed something on it. “You want to know more, talk to my supervisor.”

Rumlow tossed the object to Loki, who let it fall to the rooftop. Glancing down, he recognized the device to be a cellphone. “You must be joking.”

Again, Rumlow shrugged. “You don’t really have much choice in the matter. Either you pick up the phone and listen to what he has to say or the kid dies.”

“You think threatening me is wise?”

“You think you have a choice? If you believe I came alone, you’re a fool.”

Without taking his eyes from the other man, Loki used his seiðr to pull the phone into his hand. He put the device to his ear, “Who am I speaking with?”

_“My people call me ‘Mr. Secretary’ and you don’t need to know any more than that.”_

Loki cocked an eyebrow though he knew the other man couldn’t see it. “Is that supposed to impress me?”

_“My man has gotten your attention it seems,”_ the other man said. _“You give the scepter to Agent Rumlow and we will allow your daughter to live. If you don’t, well, the fact that she’s a child means nothing to me.”_

Loki felt his blood begin to boil. “No.”

_“No?”_

“No, I will not give the scepter to you…” these people would end up further destroying themselves should they gain possession of the scepter. “…and you will _not_ harm the girl.”

The man on the phone hummed. _“You see, you don’t really have much choice in the matter. You’ve revealed a weakness and HYDRA has no qualms about exploiting it. You have, oh, I’d say about five minutes to decide before Rumlow kills the girl.”_

Loki’s hand tightened on the scepter, the gem beginning to glow brightly. Through it, he could sense several other humans, all of whom had violent intentions towards the child. With barely a thought, he sent duplicates to each of the agents to dispatch them. The scepter dimmed once the other operatives were dead.

“I hope you don’t want your agents back,” Loki replied. This ‘Mr. Secretary’ apparently believed his man still held the child in his grasp and that his people posed a threat. Loki raised a hand and flicked his wrist. Rumlow’s head twisted to the side with a resounding _crack_. He was sure it was loud enough for the man on the other end of the line to hear. If nothing else, he would have heard the body hit the rooftop.

Loki tossed the phone off the roof. He glanced back at the now dead agent and a soft light caught his eye. Walking over to the man, he found another device had fallen from his pockets. It wasn’t the device itself that now held Loki’s attention, it was the image on the lit screen.

Picking up the device, Loki touched the screen to illuminate it again. The image was of him, dressed in a set of leathers unfamiliar to him and an open helm but what caught his attention the most was the girl seated in his lap. It was the girl Rumlow had dragged with him and she was dressed identical to Loki. Both of them were smiling.

More than a little confused he returned to the apartment. Loki scanned the room, looking for any threats. None appeared but he was not about to take any chances. He erected his wards and strengthened them. Nothing would gain entrance to the apartment without his permission.

The girl was knelt between the couch and glass table. She looked up at him when he entered. “Hi Ki,” she smiled then winced and put a hand to her cheek, “ow.”

Loki put down the scepter and phone then moved over to the girl. He knelt and carefully extended a hand, lest he frighten her. With his seiðr he healed the injury Rumlow had inflicted. “Is that better little one?” he asked.

She nodded, smiling wide. “Uh huh.” She threw her arms around him, giving him a hug. “Thank you Ki.”

More than a little stunned, Loki could only blink in confusion. He gently pat her back, unsure of what to do. “You’re welcome.” For some reason, his response came out sounding more like a question.

When she pulled back, she smiled at him again. Loki could only stare. There was no fear in her eyes. She looked almost… happy to see him. “What happened to the bad man?” she asked.

Loki blinked, “Oh uh… He’s… He’s gone… He won’t… He can’t hurt you again.” What was wrong with him? What was it about this child that made him falter?

“Good, he was really mean. He came with a lot of people and he hit mommy.”

“Where is your mother, child?”

The girl shrugged. “I don’ know. Ki and I went to find her and daddy and T’or but they wasn’t like the ones we know.” Her lips turned down in an adorable frown. “They was mean to Ki and they hurted him at first ‘cause they thought he was a bad guy.” She stomped her foot. “But Ki’s not a bad guy!” Her brown eyes found his. “My Ki’s not a bad guy and youz not a bad guy neither.” She cupped his face in her tiny hands and squinted her eyes at him. “The Bad Man hurted you too.” One hand left his cheek to press against his forehead. “Youz sick, aren’t you Ki? That’s why your eyes are wrong?”

Loki was more confused than ever. “Who is Ki?”

The girl rolled her eyes and smiled. “You are silly.”

“My name is Loki.”

She giggled. “I know that but I only calls you Ki.” She grinned wider, an excited happiness reflected in her eyes. “I gotz two Ki’s now.” She gasped and covered her mouth. “We gotz to call Ki. He’s gonna be scared I got gone.”

Two Ki’s? What was this girl talking about? “Child?”

“Morgan.”

“What?”

She pointed to herself. “I’m Morgan,” then to him, “you’re Ki.” She looked up at the ceiling, “Mr. Heimey, can you tell my Ki where I is? He’s gotta be scared about me. Thank you.” Morgan lowered her gaze. “‘Kay, Ki’ll come find us now. I wish I had Ki’s phone, I could show youz all our pictures.”

Loki recalled the phone he had taken from the roof. “Is that it?” he asked, pointing to the device.

Her gaze turned to where he pointed. “Yeah.” As she went to grab it and her eyes fell on the scepter. “Pretty,” she said in awe as she reached for the blue gem.

Fear seized Loki’s heart. “No!” he cried, leaping to his feet.

Morgan jumped. “Ki?”

“It’s dangerous,” Loki replied, softening his tone. He took the scepter and placed it atop a nearby cabinet. He turned back to Morgan but found himself at a loss for words.

Morgan’s head was tilted slightly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “It’s bad? Is that why youz sick?”

“Sick?”

Morgan nodded. “Uh huh. You look like Ki did when he was sick but before he turned blue.” She pursed her lips. “Are you gonna turn blue? I know you hates it so I hope not. Also ‘cause last time Ki got really, _really_ sick after he did. It was scary.”

Blue? Loki’s chest constricted. How did this girl know about his horrid Jötunn form?

“But not the blue, that wasn’t scary,” she quickly added. “I like your blue Ki, it’s pretty.” Morgan picked up the phone and climbed onto the couch. She patted the space next to her. Warily, Loki moved to take a seat. Morgan poked at his armor then frowned. “Off.”

“Off?”

Morgan crawled into his lap and poked his leathers again. “You gots to take this off to get comfy. You can’t get better if youz not comfy.”

For reasons still unclear to Loki, his leathers disappeared, leaving him in the loose tunic and breeches underneath. Morgan smiled and turned to snuggle against him. She pulled out the phone and did something with it, her finger playing over the screen to show him many more pictures.

Loki sat in awe as she showed him the photos. They didn’t just show him and Morgan. He saw Thor, though there was something wrong with his brother’s right eye, the Man of Iron, a blonde woman he did not know and more. Some were videos and the more Loki saw the more he remembered the dreams he’d begun to have several weeks ago. The further back Morgan went with the pictures, the more he realized the dreams were not just dreams, they were _memories._

_“Oh no!” Loki cried out dramatically, trying not to laugh as Thor placed Morgan in his arms. Loki fell to the floor (slowly) to lay on his back. “The slobber monster has found me.”_

_“Morgan,” Tony waited for her attention to turn back to him. “Where’s Thor?” Morgan pointed out the Thunderer. “Where’s mommy?” Pointed to Pepper. “Loki?”_

_Morgan twisted her body and shifted her weight forward towards Loki. “Ki!” she exclaimed._

_All eyes turned to the toddler shock. “Did she just…?” Thor asked, leaving his chair to stare down at her._

_Tony’s jaw hit the floor. “That was a fluke. It had to be.”_

_“Morgan,” Loki asked, “can you say ‘Loki’?”_

_“Ki!” She said again. “Ki, Ki, Ki.”_

_A wide smile spread across Loki’s face. He threw his arms up with a cry of, “yes!” then pointed at Thor. “I win!”_

_Loki followed Thor and Pepper and the three poked their heads into the bathroom. Tony grinned at them. “You gotta hear this.” He splashed at the water to get Morgan’s attention. “Say ‘Loki’.”_

_“Ki.”_

_“Say ‘daddy’.”_

_“Daki.”_

_Tony turned to them, a smug grin on his face. “She finally said it.”_

_“She said something,” Loki said._

_“Shut it, peanut gallery.”_

_Pepper knelt down by the tub. “Well I suppose third place isn’t too bad,” she said, running her fingers through Morgan’s wet hair._

_“She still has yet to say Thor’s name,” Loki said._

_Morgan splashed at the water again. “Hor!”_

_Loki burst out laughing, ducking back out into the hall as he doubled over. Thor looked scandalized; Pepper was able to hold her laughter in better and Tony straight up guffawed. “No baby, not ‘whore’, ‘Thor’.”_

_“Hor!”_

_“Ki!” Morgan exclaimed, wiggling out of Thor’s arms and running to Loki. He picked her up, tossing her in the air slightly. She wrapped her little arms around his neck to hug him._

_“And now that she’s seen Merlin,” remarked Tony drily, “everyone else is chopped liver.”_

_“Your daughter has good taste,” Loki said as he adjusted Morgan to sit on his hip. “I can’t help it if I’m her favorite.” He turned his focus on his niece. “Have you been a_ mischievous _little girl?”_

_Morgan nodded vigorously, “Yep.”_

_Loki smiled, “Good, now…” He tapped his chin with a finger in thought. “What should mischievous little girl’s get?”_

_Morgan shrugged, her own expression scrunching up in thought. “St’ry?”_

_“A story? Hm…?”_

_Morgan loved whenever he told her stories since he would accompany those stories with his illusions. Even if he were simply reading to her, he made sure his illusions played out before her eyes._

_Biting her lip, she asked, “candy?”_

_“I don’t know...”_

_Morgan huffed then seemed to catch a whiff of what he was hoping she would. “Cookies!”_

_“Cookies,” Loki agreed, heading inside._

_Loki looked over the edge of his bed, spotting Morgan sitting on the floor coloring. “What are you doing in here little one?”_

_She stopped her coloring. “I wanted to stay with you and Mommy said I could if I didn’t wake you up.” Her eyes widened. “Did I wake you up?”_

_“No,” he said with a shake of his head. It was then he noticed she had drawn on her arms with marker, blue marker. “Morgan,” he began, feeling bile rise in his throat, “why are your arms blue?”_

_“Oh,” she held her arms out in front of her, “I wanted to be blue like you too.” Her little mouth drew down in a frown, “Mommy said I couldn’t make my face blue.”_

_“You didn’ make him sad, did you?” Morgan asked his parents._

_Loki answered for them, “They didn’t make me said sweetie.”_

_“Good,” Morgan said, nodding. She wrapped her arms around him. “Can we go swim now?”_

_“Of course,” Loki replied. “Where are our towels?”_

_“There,” Morgan pointed to the towels she had placed in a nearby chair. Loki set her down while he retrieved them. Morgan stepped over to Frigga and Odin with her hands on her tiny hips, narrowed brown eyes scrutinizing them. “Don’ ever make my Ki sad, gotz it?”_

_Tony was pointing at him and Morgan twisted in Thor’s arms, following Tony’s finger. Her face lit up with such happiness and excitement, Loki couldn’t hold back his own smile. “Ki!” Thor set her down and her feet had barely touched the ground before she took off running. “Ki! Ki! Ki!”_

_Morgan continued excitedly calling his name as she ran to him. Loki held his arms out as he walked towards her, smiling widely. Her laughter rang out as she threw herself at him. She swung between his legs and he bent over to keep her from falling backwards. “Hello Morgan.”_

_Morgan giggled, grinning up at him from where she leaned back against his arms. “Hi Ki.”_

_“Miss me?”_

_“Lots and lots.”_

_“Did you plan that?” Tony asked, gesturing to them._

_“Plan what?” Loki asked, looking down from where he and Morgan sat atop Malachite._

_“Your outfits. You’re just missing the helm.”_

_“Daddy’s right,” Morgan gasped. “Ki, hornays!”_

_Loki sighed, narrowing his eyes as he leaned in towards Morgan. She giggled when he planted a kiss on her cheek. When he pulled away, his helm appeared in a shimmer of green. “Better?”_

_“Yeah.” She waved at her parents. “Bye daddy! Bye mommy! I’m gonna go live with Ki now!”_

* * *

After Loki healed Pepper’s wounds, he began to pace back and forth across the living room. He wanted to storm the SHIELD installation but he didn’t know where it was. He knew Fury was an ass but he hadn’t thought the man would stoop so low as to kidnap a child. What did he hope to gain from this?

A hand fell on his shoulder, stopping his pacing. He met Thor’s concerned gaze. “Loki?” Thor asked.

“If anything happens to her...” his throat closed at the thought.

“We will find her.”

Loki tried to take comfort in Thor’s words but it was difficult. “Where is the SHIELD facility?”

Stark returned to the room. “If I pointed to a spot on a map, do you think you could teleport us there?”

“Maybe, I’ve never really tried it that way before. At the very least I should be able to get us close.”

“Okay,” Stark pulled up a map and pointed to a small island off the coast of California. “This is where it is. It’s underground so—”

Loki cut him off, “That’s all I need.” His fear, while still there, was shifting to determination. He had a point of focus and now that he had a rough idea of where the installation was he thought it might be possible to teleport them inside of it. He recalled the corridors they’d travelled down. He could feel his seiðr pulsing. “What about Pepper?”

“Happy’ll keep her safe.”

Good, one less thing he needed to worry about. He took a breath to try to calm himself then teleported the three of them away.

Loki was glad to find that he had indeed managed to teleport them inside of the SHIELD facility. Their sudden appearance within the conference room startled its occupants. His anger returned full force when his eyes landed on Fury. He stormed over to the one-eyed man, “Where is she?” he demanded.

“The hell are you talking about?” Fury asked, rising to his feet.

“Do not play games with me Director, I am in no mood. Where is Morgan?”

“Something happened to Morgan?” Rogers asked, concern lacing his voice.

“SHIELD agents went to Stark’s home; attacked Lady Potts and stole Morgan.” His gaze bore into the dark skinned man, his tone of voice low and menacing. “Tell me where she is.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Fury replied. “I never gave any such order.”

“I have seen the footage director. They were _your_ agents.”

“He’s right,” Stark said. He went over to a bank of monitors and did something to them. Security footage from his home showed a group of men storming in. Pepper did her best to fight off the intruders but she was rendered incapacitated by the blow to her head, which had knocked her unconscious. Morgan fought, kicking, biting and clawing at the agent who grabbed her.

“That’s Rumlow,” Romanov said, pointing to one of the men in the footage.

“Who?” Thor asked.

“Brock Rumlow,” Barton replied. His own gaze narrowed on Fury. “He’s a member of one of SHIELD’s strike teams.”

“I did _not_ order anyone to kidnap the girl,” Fury reiterated. “What would be the point?”

“They are your men Director,” Loki reminded him. “Even if you did not give the order, the blame still falls on you.” He grabbed Fury’s coat and hauled him around the table to where a secure telephone sat. He threw Fury against it, “Call Rumlow _now_ and demand he tell you where my niece is.”

An older Midgardian man Loki did not recognize spoke. “Excuse me, but I don’t think you’re really in a position to demand anything right now.”

Loki cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know who you are and I honestly don’t care what you think.”

“Alexander Pierce, I’m a member of the World Security Council. _You_ on the other hand are our prisoner,” he made a hand gesture and several armed guards surrounded Loki, weapons drawn. “I have to admit, I’m surprised you managed to trick the Avengers into trusting you and giving you our location.”

Alarm bells were going off in Loki’s mind. Something about this Midgardian man’s voice was familiar. Loki had never met the man before but…

_My people call me ‘Mr. Secretary’ and you don’t need to know any more than that._

Realization dawned on him. He didn’t know _how_ he suddenly knew what he did but he _knew_ it was Pierce who had ordered Morgan taken. Several things happened at once: an invisible force launched the members of the security team away; Loki tossed Fury aside and leapt over the table with a growl, manifesting a dagger as he did so. He grabbed Pierce by the shirt and slammed him onto the floor. _“Where is she?”_ he demanded, pressing the dagger against Pierce’s neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pierce choked.

“Loki, let him go,” Rogers said.

“I will,” Loki said. He increased pressure on the dagger until a small line of blood ran down the side of Pierce’s neck, “Once he tells me where he sent Morgan.”

“Someone get this man off me!” Pierce yelled.

“Loki,” Thor asked, “how do you know he was the one who ordered Morgan taken?”

Loki couldn’t explain it. When he spoke next, it was Pierce’s voice, which left his lips. “You see, you don’t really have much choice in the matter. You’ve revealed a weakness and HYDRA has no qualms about exploiting it.” Pierce’s widening eyes betrayed his surprise.

“HYDRA?” Rogers exclaimed. “HYDRA’s gone.”

Loki’s voice returned to normal, “No, he is a leader among their organization.” To Pierce he said, “I will only ask you one last time. Where. Is. My. Niece?”

“Loki,” a hand grasped his upper arm and Loki was surprised to see Barton kneeling beside him. “You need to let him go,” Barton said. “He’s not going to tell you anything with a knife to his throat. If he _is_ HYRDA,” Barton’s other hand gripped Pierce’s jaw to prevent him from biting down, “he’ll have a cyanide capsule in place of a tooth.”

Betrayal flashed within Pierce’s eyes. The man had hoped for help from Barton. He struggled against Loki’s hold but only succeeded in drawing more blood.

“I get it,” Barton continued, “Morgan’s your kid and you’re _scared_. You’re not thinking clearly right now.” He pulled his hand from Loki’s arm and, while still holding tightly to Pierce’s jaw, ran a finger along the other man’s teeth. “Son of a bitch,” Barton said. Pierce let out a cry of pain as Barton pulled a fake tooth from his mouth. He tossed it to Romanov who frowned before handing it to Fury.

“HYRDA?” Fury asked, his voice a mix of enraged and confused. “You’re part of HYRDA?”

Once Barton let go of his jaw, Pierce spat out blood. “You have no idea what you’ve done,” Pierce growled.

Fury, Hill and the rest of the Avengers surrounded them but Loki didn’t feel threatened. They were not his enemies. In this, they were his allies. “I should let him gut you,” Fury roared.

“You’re just going to take the word of this maniac?” Pierce cried. “How long have we known each other Nick?”

“Apparently not long enough,” Fury retorted. “You kidnapped a four-year-old?”

“I did what had to be done!”

Loki shifted his dagger, forcing Pierce’s head back further. “You _will_ answer my question.”

“Are his eyes supposed to do that?” Banner asked suddenly.

“I’ve never before seen his seiðr cause such a thing,” Thor replied.

Confused and angered by the distraction Loki started to ask what the _Hel_ they were talking about when Pierce began speaking instead.

“New York,” Pierce said tonelessly. His eyes swirled a sickly blue. “Rumlow took her to New York to negotiate for the scepter and to hand over control of Earth to HYRDA.” Loki eased his grasp a little and Pierce blinked rapidly. “What did you do to me?”

_“Loki.”_

“Whoa!” Stark yelled, “The hell is wrong with you people? Stop popping in like that!”

Loki raised his gaze and saw Heimdall standing beside them. He knew the gatekeeper wasn’t really there but was instead using his sight to speak to him. Apparently, Heimdall was extending that communication to everyone in the room.

_“The child you seek is in the city of New York,”_ Heimdall said. _“She is unharmed and asked that I tell you her location.”_

Loki needed no more information than that. He knew exactly _where_ in New York City she was. It only made sense after all, for her to be in the Avengers tower. If the device were still there, his alternate would continue to monitor it even while searching for the Time Stone.

“We’ll come with you,” Romanov said, Barton nodded in agreement.

Confused by the archer’s sudden change of heart he asked, “Why would you help me?”

“Because I know what it’s like to be afraid for your child,” Barton replied.

Loki nodded, swallowing hard. He released Pierce who scrambled away. He did not get far before Fury hauled the man to his feet. “You have a lot to answer for Pierce.”

“What I did was for the good of the world,” Pierce retorted then sneered. “Now, because of you we will continue to be forced into submission. All because you are too weak to sacrifice one snot-nosed brat to get the job done.”

A look of disgust crossed Fury’s face. He glanced back at Loki. “You can stab him now if you’d like.”

“What?” Pierce cried in shock.

“I’ll stab him later,” Loki replied, “slowly and with great relish.”

“Why do you care?” Pierce asked the Avengers. “It’s just one child.”

“It’s that kind of thinking that makes us different,” Rogers said coolly.

Loki glanced around at the security force members who were slowly making their way to their feet. He pointed to a few of those members. “They are aligned with Pierce as well.”

“How do you know that?” Banner asked.

Loki shrugged, he didn’t know, he just did. It was not a problem he had time to deal with. He manifested his leathers and readied himself to face… himself.

* * *

King Loki lost track of time as he listened to Morgan tell him all about his other self and the bonds this other Loki had seemed to have created. His eyes drooped and he found himself relaxing for the first time in so long that he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way.

“Ki?”

Loki blinked his eyes open and saw Morgan looking up at him worriedly. “Hm?”

“Are you tired Ki?”

He was tired and had been for a while. He’d not allowed himself to rest though. Not only because he feared the dreams that came when he tried to sleep but also because he needed to remain alert. To let his guard down was to risk pain. He forced his eyes open and glanced around the room. It was rather late, if the darkness outside was anything to go by.

“I’m fine,” he replied.

Morgan narrowed her eyes at him and set the phone on the table in front of them. She crawled into his lap and took his face in her hands. Loki tensed involuntarily, his mind and body preparing itself for the pain that was about to be inflicted upon him. Except… it wasn’t. Tears sprung forth when Morgan pressed her lips to his forehead.

“What…” Loki cleared his throat, “what was that for?”

Morgan pulled back, frowning. “Mommy does that when I don’t feel good. Youz not hot,” her tiny hands wiped away the few tears that dared to escape. “Why you crying Ki?” Her expression changed to one of alarm. “Did I make you cry? I’m sorry Ki.” She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry Ki,” she repeated. “Please don’t cry.”

His breath shuttered in his chest and he brought a hand up, covering his mouth in an effort to remain silent. It was all for naught, as his tears continued to fall. He could no longer hold back his sobs when he felt her rubbing the back of his head, trying to soothe him. A touch without pain was not something he’d ever expected to experience again. Truthfully, he’d forgotten such a thing existed and yet this child was doing just that.

Loki wrapped his arms around Morgan, pressing his eyes against her tiny shoulder and cried. He wept for who he had once been, for everything he had lost, for everything he had done and for everything he would never have again. He was a _monster,_ he knew that and yet this child had _seen_ the monster hidden beneath his skin and did not fear it. In fact, she called it ‘pretty’.

“I’m sorry Ki.”

“Not… Not your fault,” Loki choked out.

“It was ‘cause of the Bad Man huh? He made you sick?”

_Bad Man?_ “Bad Man?”

Morgan pulled back and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Yeah, he hurted my Ki too. I don’t ‘member his real name. Tanos? Fanose?”

“Thanos?” Loki asked.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Morgan said. She scowled, “He was a really, really mean bad man but daddy, Ki, T’or and all their friends made the Bad Man go away for ever and ever. He can’t hurts nobody no more.”

A world where Thanos was dead was far too good to be true and yet, he knew it had somehow come to pass. Or it would come to pass but did that knowledge change anything for him? He had brought so much evil into the Realms; he _was_ evil even though he did not want to be. He had been born evil and unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to change that. Even when he tried to do good, only evil followed him.

Loki realized the longer Morgan stayed with him, the more likely he was to hurt her. He had only known her for a few hours but the kindness she had shown him, the _unconditional love_ he saw reflected within her gaze broke him. He had to find a way to return her to her family. Fear suddenly raced through his veins, what if in trying to do so, he ended up harming her instead?

Loki tensed and he had to fight back more tears when Morgan curled against him, laying her head beneath his chin. “I’m tired Ki. Can we go sleep now?”

“Y-yes,” he adjusted his hold to cradle her. “We can go to sleep. Let me um… Let me…” He cast his gaze about for a suitable place to lay her down. When he had originally explored the apartment he’d found a bedroom. Yes, he could place her in the bedroom. He would set his strongest wards around her.

He stood carefully and made his way to the bedroom. The bed was neatly made but he used his seiðr to make sure the bedding was clean, just in case. He set Morgan on the bed and removed her shoes then pulled the blankets back. He tucked her in and stood to leave.

“Where you going?’ Morgan asked sleepily.

“Back to the other room?”

She sat up, “You’re gonna leave?”

“Only…” he trailed off. Sighing he sat on the bed. “I will stay until you fall asleep.”

Morgan’s frowned. “Stay with me Ki, please. I don’ wanna be alone.”

Loki swallowed hard and nodded, biting his lower lip. He tucked her back under the blankets then lay beside her. Morgan scooted closer and pulled her arms from under the blankets to wrap them around his. She nuzzled her head against his shoulder. “Night, night Ki. Wuv you.”

Tears once again sprung to his eyes. He tried to respond, if only to reassure her but found his voice stuck in his throat. Loki turned his head to glance down at her and felt something within him ease. He felt… free. He knew it would not last and that he would endure a much greater pain once it was over but for now he would allow himself this freedom.

He took a moment to pray to the Norns and whatever other higher power there may be that he would be able to return Morgan to her family safely.

_Please,_ he prayed, _allow me to do one act of good. Please don’t let my evil harm this child._

* * *

Loki had had to fight against every instinct that told him to rush to Morgan’s side, proverbial guns blazing, but he knew doing so could end up with her getting hurt. Reconnaissance was needed first, as much as it galled him to wait. The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon as they all made their way to Stark Tower.

Loki stood atop a nearby rooftop, the bold letters of _STARK_ emblazoned along the top of the opposite building. It was hard to believe it had only been a few weeks since he and Morgan had arrived here. It seemed like it was much longer than that.

Stark was preforming a low flyby, searching for any Chitauri contingents. Banner had remained with the quinjet while Barton and Romanov scouted from another building. He wasn’t entirely sure where Rogers had disappeared to. Thor shifted beside him, seemingly just as impatient as Loki was.

“I know you want to see your brother but I have to warn you, he isn’t going to react well to your presence,” said Loki.

“I cannot stop thinking about what you showed us,” Thor said softly. “To think he endured such suffering, that you both did, it…”

“You didn’t know Thor but you can change how things go here. You can _listen,_ which is more than anyone did for me at the time. He’s going to be afraid and angry. He thinks you hate him and right now, he hates himself more than anything. He wants to die.”

Thor’s head whipped around to face him. “What?”

Loki sighed; this really wasn’t the time for this conversation. “He can be saved but it will take time and a _lot_ of patience.”

They were deterred from furthering the topic when Romanov’s voice came through the communicator. _“We found Rumlow.”_

_“Where?”_ Rogers asked.

_“Rooftop,”_ Barton replied. _“He’s dead.”_

_“How?”_ asked Stark.

_“His neck is broken.”_

Well that was unexpected. _“So what’s the game plan?”_

“I’ll go in,” Loki said, “alone.” Several voices protested his statement. “It makes sense,” Loki tried to quell his rising frustration. “I can remove any warding he has put up, it may even recognize me.”

_“You said he’s being controlled by the scepter,” s_ aid Rogers, _“what are the odds that it tries taking you too?”_

Loki remembered the words of the Reality Stone. “I don’t think it will try and even if it does, I wouldn’t worry. I know how to close my mind to it.”

_“Are you absolutely sure about that?”_

“Yes.”

There was a beat of silence, then, _“All right, good luck.”_

“Are you sure you do not wish for me to come with you?” Thor asked once more.

“Only for the moment,” Loki replied. “You will see him soon.”

“Loki...” Several emotions swept across Thor’s face, the heaviest being sadness and shame. “Never mind.”

Loki placed a reassuring hand on Thor’s shoulder. “It will take time but I promise, the sun will shine on you both again.” Letting his hand drop, Loki teleported himself to the balcony outside of the main apartment. Loki could feel strong warding emanating from the floor. He stepped closer and the wards opened for him, accepting him like an old friend.

It was quiet inside the apartment. Loki spotted the scepter lying atop a nearby cabinet. It appeared to have been placed there to keep it out of reach. Curious.

Loki made his way silently across the floor, ignoring the call of the Mind Stone for the moment. The last time he had been to this floor had been when he had been defeated by the Avengers in his reality. It was somewhat surreal to be back here again under completely different circumstances.

Loki continued to look around and felt his heart leap into his throat while simultaneously a rush of absolute _relief_ washed through him. “M-morgan.” He hurried to the other side of the couch where Morgan sat playing with his phone.

Morgan turned to him and smiled. “Ki!” She leapt from the couch. “Mr. Heimey told you where I was?” Loki could only nod as he swept Morgan up into his arms and hugged her tightly. She wiggled in his hold. “Ki, youz squishing me.”

Loki loosened his hold but didn’t put her down. “Sorry sweetie, I’m just so glad you are unharmed.”

“The mean man hit me but my other Ki made it better. He made the mean man go away too.”

Speaking of, where was his alternate? “Where is Loki?” And wasn’t _that_ strange to say?

Morgan pointed in the direction of another room. “He’s still sleeping.” She turned back to him. “He’s really sick Ki. Is he gonna turn blue like you did?”

“No,” he reassured her. “He has a different illness.”

“Because of the Bad Man?”

Loki finally put her down, as much as he didn’t want to, and nodded. “Stay out here sweetie, I’m going to check on him.” It wasn’t lost on him that Morgan had already claimed his alternate self as hers. He stood staring down at her, knowing he needed to find the other Loki but unable to make his feet move.

“Ki?”

Loki knelt and hugged her once more. He never wanted to let her out of his sight again. He’d been terrified when he had learned she’d been taken. She had only been missing for less than a day but it had been long enough that Loki was afraid she would be spirited away once again. If _anything_ had happened to her…

“I’m okay Ki,” Morgan said softly, patting his shoulder

Loki wiped his eyes as he pulled back once more. “I know you are,” he said with a watery smile. He cupped her face, taking solace in that she truly was unharmed. He kissed her cheek. “You stay out here while I check on the other Loki.”

Morgan picked his phone back up. “Okay. I’m hungry.”

“We’ll get something to eat soon.”

She smiled at him and he kissed her again then stood. “I’ll be back. Oh,” he pulled a small object from his pocket. “Care to explain how this ended up in my pocket?”

Morgan crossed her arms. “You was going after something scary. I didn’ want you to get hurt.”

“Well,” he reattached the pin to her shirt, “you keep it now and no using slight of hand to put it back in my pocket. That is not why I taught it to you.” He stood and felt an almost physical ache as he left her in the living area.

Loki was surprised to find the strength of the warding increasing the closer to the master bedroom he went. The door was only partially open but it was enough for him to see inside. To say it was strange to see himself and know it was not one of his simulacrum was an understatement. He paused to take in the figure before him.

His alternate self was fast asleep. Loki hadn’t realized just how terrible he had looked back then until he saw the other Loki. It begged the question, _how_ had no one seen how ill he had been? The Loki lying on the bed was severely malnourished, skin paler than normal and eyes sunken with dark circles under them. He looked as if a stiff wind could lay him out and appeared very small lying there.

Loki moved further inside the room and closed the door gently. “Loki,” he said softly. The other Loki’s eyes shot open and a dagger manifested in his hand as he struck out at Loki who caught his wrist. “Easy,” Loki said, “I’ll not harm you.”

King Loki blinked at Loki in confusion. His wild eyes darted around the room. “How did you get in here?” he growled.

“I’m you,” Loki replied. “The warding recognized me.”

Fear flashed across the others expression. “Where is the child? What have you done with her?”

“Morgan is in the living area playing on my phone. She’s my niece and I would _never_ harm her. In fact, I’d kill anyone who did.”

There was a moment of silence as the other took in Loki’s words. “You came for her?” King Loki asked, lowering his dagger.

“Yes, and I also came for you,” Loki said, letting his hand fall from the others wrist. “I want to help you.”

“You can’t help me.”

“I know better than anyone what you have been through. I used to believe I could not be saved either but I was and I’m _free._ You can be too.”

King Loki looked him up and down. Loki felt a probing in the ether and let the other Loki examine him. His eyes widened, “You are me,” King Loki said in awe. “I don’t understand, how are you here? Where are you from?”

“That’s complicated,” Loki replied, sitting on the bed. “Morgan and I come from another reality. One that is currently twelve years ahead of yours.”

King Loki shifted to sit beside him. “Do you still rule over Midgard?”

“I never did. I lost to the Avengers.”

“You lost?” Several emotions flashed across the other’s face. His shoulders drooped. “I wish I had,” he whispered. “I never… I never really tried.”

“Why was there no fail safe built into the portal device?”

King Loki blew out an angry breath. “The Other never gave me a moment of peace. I had no way of telling Selvig to add the flaw without discovery. I know I’m weak but I just…The thought of the pain they would inflict…”

“You aren’t weak,” Loki reassured. “Thor on the other hand is probably wearing a rut into the roof of the other building.”

“Thor is here?”

Loki nodded. “He is and he’s worried about you.”

“He hates me.”

“No, he doesn’t. It took me a long time to realize that myself. Took him a long time to get his head out of his ass.”

_“Loki,”_ Thor’s voice sounded in his ear. _“Did you find them? Are they all right?”_

“Yes Thor,” he replied, “but it may be better for you to wait…” At the other’s look of confusion, Loki pointed to the communicator in his ear.

New sounds from the living area drew their attention and they both rushed out of the room. Loki saw Stark slowly entering the building, his suit coming off in pieces as he walked.

“Don’t mind me,” Stark said. “I just need to get a few things. We think we’ve come up with a way to fix the Bifröst.” Stark’s eyes fell on Morgan. “Hey kiddo.”

“Hi daddy,” Morgan replied, not looking away from the phone.

While Stark may have seemed flippant, Loki had known the man long enough in his reality to know Stark was hiding what fear he had for Morgan behind sarcasm.

Stark suddenly stopped and his eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, you really do look like shit.”

Confusion once more overcame King Loki’s expression, “What?”

Loki completely agreed. Standing side by side it was painfully obvious his younger self was not hale. As a matter of fact, it only cemented the point that there was something wrong with him.

“Youz not supposed to say bad words daddy,” Morgan said.

“Sorry squirt,” Stark replied. He gestured to the elevator, “So I’m going to head downstairs. I need to get some supplies. Don’t know how much longer Point Break is going to last out there before he goes crazy. So… good luck. Oh! And we’re all in big trouble because we never told her parents what happened. Hope that silver tongue of yours is polished. Bye!” With that, Stark skittered from the apartment.

“I’m a dead man,” Loki breathed. Pepper was going to kill him. In his defense, he’d been more worried about _finding_ Morgan than anything else. It had never occurred to him to tell Tony and Pepper that Morgan had been taken.

Morgan left the couch, coming over to them and held her arms up to the other Loki. By the look on his face, he didn’t appear to really know what to do.

“She wants a hug,” Loki told the other man.

King Loki carefully bent to hug Morgan. His movements were stiff, as though he feared harming her.

“I gotz two Ki’s now,” Morgan declared. Concern colored her features as she examined younger Loki. “Youz still sick, huh Ki?” She put a hand on the other Loki’s forehead. “Not hot. Ki,” Morgan said, turning her head to face him, “my new Ki needs lots of huggies and kissies and… and chicken noodle soup ‘cause that’s what mommy gives me when I’s sick.”

“I’m sure you can supply him with all of the hugs and kisses he needs for now.”

“What about chicken noodle soup?”

“We’ll find some.”

“Okay,” Morgan grinned at King Loki. “Hey, your eyes aren’t wrong no more.”

King Loki’s eyebrows drew together, “What?”

Loki saw that Morgan was right. His alternate’s eyes were once again their normal green.

King Loki gently pulled away from Morgan’s grasp. “You should take her and leave this place.”

Loki recognized the walls the other Loki was erecting around himself. It was the very same thing Loki had done to protect himself. “I will,” Loki replied, “but you need to come with us.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. You can be free too. You can’t let _him_ win.”

He saw the other Loki tense, the man knowing exactly which _him_ Loki was speaking of. King Loki shook his head. “It’s impossible.”

“We did it in my reality. We can do it here too.”

“We?”

Loki felt himself smirk. “You’re never going to believe this, but I’m an Avenger now.” He ran his fingers through Morgan’s bedhead. “She’s Tony Stark’s daughter and she calls both Thor and myself her uncle’s. Obviously, I’m the favorite.”

“Yeah, you’re my Ki now too,” Morgan told King Loki. “I won’ let T’or or Mean Pirate or the Mean Lady or nobody hurts you.” She raised her tiny fists, “I’ll kick all their butts.”

Loki could tell his alternate was completely overwhelmed. He lowered his head and Loki didn’t miss the tears that ran down the other’s cheeks. He knelt and placed a hand on other Loki’s shoulder. He knew firsthand the emotions his alternate was experiencing, how _overwhelming_ it was.

By Morgan’s expression, it was clear she did not like to see his alternate in tears. He knew there was no way to explain to her the extent of the trauma the younger Loki had endured. Loki himself had had time to work though it and not allow what Thanos and his ilk had done to him rule his life anymore. His younger self needed time to heal.

The younger Loki’s silent tears became broken sobs when Morgan hugged him again. Loki let him cry, knowing he needed the release. He let his gaze wander to the large windows, waiting for Thor to arrive. He knew the Thunderer wouldn’t be able to keep himself away much longer. Sparks would fly, he knew that, he just hoped the confrontation between the two would allow his younger to begin to heal and not end up making things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally put asterisk between scene breaks but I didn't when King Loki is seeing the memories. While they are technically different scenes they do play into the scene as a whole. Does that make any sense or did I just make it worse?


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New York is left behind for destinations unknown. The younger Loki begins to heal and Morgan insists on showing him off to her father. Thor suffers the consequences of annoying Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a scene where Tony is referred to as Stark but that's because he's being seen through the younger Loki's POV. I switch back and forth between both Loki's POV's. Hopefully I didn't make it too confusing.
> 
> Random fun fact, rabbits purr. I did not know this.
> 
> More tissues might be needed.

**_Eleven_ **

King Loki was no king and it was a position he had never wanted. He never had been king, not really, and he hated the title even more now that it had been forced upon him the way it had. He wanted nothing to do with it anymore but he didn’t know how to give it up. He had caused so much destruction as “king” and he had no idea how to atone for it.

His chest hurt from the sobs wracking his body but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to stop. Just like he couldn’t stop the little spark of hope that had begun to blossom upon meeting his older alternate. Maybe… maybe he could be saved.

He pulled away from Morgan, wiping futilely at his eyes as he did so. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the elder replied. There was so much _understanding_ in his gaze. The other truly did know what had been done to him as he had lived through it as well. That spark of hope grew just a little bit more.

Loki stiffened, his blood running cold at the sound of something heavy landing on the balcony. His head whipped around just in time to see Thor entering the apartment.

“I know you said to wait,” Thor was saying as he walked, “but I couldn’t…”

It was strange to Loki to see his brother (not his brother?) wearing Midgardian clothing and not his normal armor. So many emotions were running through him that he was unable to focus on just _one._ He knew he should stand, don his armor and face his… what was Thor to him anymore? Thor wasn’t his brother, never had been. Besides, why would the Golden Prince _ever_ claim a Jötunn beast as his brother?

He felt the hand on his shoulder give a reassuring squeeze. It helped calm his swirling emotions, at least until Thor spoke again.

“Loki.”

It was as if a switch had been flipped. He rushed Thor, striking out at him with a cry of rage. “You were supposed to beat me!” he screamed, beating his fists futilely against Thor who had raised his arms in an attempt to block the blows. “I wasn’t supposed to win! Why didn’t you beat me? You were supposed to _kill me!_ ”

Strong arms wrapped around him, pinning him against Thor’s broad chest. Loki struggled, snarling and letting out inarticulate cries at his inability to fight Thor. This was not the way things were supposed to happen. Thor should be fighting him. Thor should be angry, he should _hate_ Loki and yet... he dug his fingers into Thor’s shirt, gripping the fabric tightly. None of this made any sense. Thor’s voice wasn’t even angry, instead it sounded worried.

“Peace brother, please,” Thor begged. “You’ll hurt yourself.” Loki struggled further. “No Loki, stop.”

_No Loki._

Loki froze, raising his head to meet Thor’s eyes. Oh, _oh_ , he understood now. He pushed away from Thor (not Thor, it was never Thor) and the blonde let him go. Loki turned and let his gaze fall upon the other Loki and the child clinging to his side. There was fear in her brown eyes now and for some reason it made Loki’s chest constrict. The spark of hope he’d begun to feel withered and died.

Loki dropped to the floor, pain radiating though his knees as they hit the granite. “Stop,” Loki said weakly, his head bowed and shoulders drooped. “Please, stop. I don’t know where the other Stone is, I never did. Continuing this won’t change that. Just please, leave me alone.”

“What are you talking about?” Not-Thor asked. “What’s he talking about?”

The version of himself he would never become came over to him. One hand gripped his arm while the other pressed against his cheek. “You are _not_ on Sanctuary,” Not-him said, his own green eyes stared back at him with worry. “This isn’t one of The Other’s tricks. You _are_ on Midgard.”

“No,” Loki shook his head in denial. “No, you’re lying. I’m still in the cell, I never left.”

“I’m not lying. Look at me,” Not-him brought his other hand up so both cupped his face. “This isn’t an illusion cast by the scepter. The Mind Stone doesn’t control you anymore. It won’t… It won’t hurt you.”

Loki jerked away, bringing his hands up to cover his ears. “Stop it!” he cried, closing his eyes but feeling more tears escape them. “Stop lying! No more false hope just please… let me die.”

_“No!”_ Morgan’s scream made him flinch. “No die!” Her small body slammed into his causing Loki to stare, stunned, as Morgan clung to his tunic. “No die Ki! You can’t!”

“Morgan, sweetie, he’s not dying,” Not-him said, trying frantically to reassure the child. “I promise sweetie, he’s not dying. He’s sick, remember?”

“‘Cause of the Bad Man?”

“Yes, and it’s making him think he’s stuck in a very bad dream.”

“But Ki’s awake Ki.”

“I know,” Not-him replied, “but it might take him some time to realize that himself.”

“But why?”

Not-him sighed and gently pulled Morgan away from him. “It just will sweetie. It’s very hard to explain.”

“But why did Ki say to let him die?” Morgan turned tear-filled eyes on him. “I don’ want you die Ki.”

Loki did not know what to make of any of this. This had to be a trick perpetrated by The Other. There was nothing else it could be because to allow himself to believe differently only allowed for more pain to be inflicted upon him. “This isn’t real,” Loki murmured.

“It is brother,” Not-Thor said, kneeling by his side and laying a hand gently along his neck. “You are free. You can come home.”

Once again, Loki shook his head in denial. “I have no home. Jö—” He swallowed hard. “They threw me away and Asgard hates me.” He shifted his gaze to Not-Thor. “You are not Thor. You can’t be. Thor hates me.”

“That isn’t true Loki, I swear,” Not-Thor replied vehemently. “I don’t hate you, I’ve never hated you. You are my brother and I love you.”

If that was true… “Then why did you toss me into the abyss?”

Not-Thor flinched, seemingly taken aback by Loki’s words. “What?”

_“Thor did not toss you into the Void,”_ Not-him said, speaking in Asgardian. _“You let go.”_

_No Loki._

Something clicked within Loki at Not-him’s words. His mind went back to his final moments on the Bifröst and the memory that came forth was not what he expected.

Thor’s angry gaze was not the last thing Loki had seen before he plummeted into the Void nor did he hear, _“You are no brother of mine.”_ There was no hand around his neck that he clawed against, trying to break free. No pleading, no angered blue eyes and the words, _“You are nothing but a monster.”_ No watching his father turn away from him as Thor tossed him over the edge.

Instead, he recalled clinging to the end of Gungnir, his father and brother above him, Odin gripping tightly to Thor’s leg while Thor held to the other end of the spear. He recalled the feeling of absolute _rejection_ at those two words.

_No Loki._

In that moment, Loki had wanted nothing more than to die. He knew he could never return to Asgard. The Realm Eternal hated him and they would have had even more cause to do so after that. Loki had been born a monster, born to the _King_ of the monsters but he hadn’t known. It wasn’t until that ill-fated trip to Jötunheim that Loki had learned the truth. Besides, the Golden Realm did not need a creature of darkness such as him to tarnish its greatness. It was with that knowledge and the knowledge that he could never remove the evil within him no matter how much he wanted to, that he had let go.

Thor’s cry of anguish, _“Loki! No!”_ echoed though his mind.

Loki could see the shock and grief that had flashed across Odin’s expression as he fell. How had he forgotten that?

“He broke your mind,” Not-him said gently, “just as he did to me in my reality. You can heal but you need to give yourself time. Much of what you remember can’t be trusted right now however your true memories are still there.”

“How do you know?” he asked weakly.

The other Loki gave a rueful smile. “I have already lived it.”

Loki was unsure what to believe. Was there hope? Did he dare let that spark come into being once again? He looked at Thor and saw his elder brother watching him with worried eyes. It had been so long since he had seen such a look in his brother’s gaze. He was unsure if he could trust Thor? Could he trust himself?

“What do I do?” he asked his alternate. “Who can I trust? I-is there anyone…”

“You can trust me,” the other Loki replied. “You can trust Morgan and you can trust Thor. He’s still an oaf and will no doubt do something to anger you but his heart is in the right place.”

Once again, that damnable spark of hope had begun to reignite in his chest. He looked at Thor and somehow he _knew_ it was his brother and not a figment of his imagination. His vision blurred as his eyes watered once more, “Help me.”

Thor pulled him into his arms, hugging him tight. “Whatever you need brother. Whatever you need.”

* * *

Loki watched as his younger self wept against Thor’s chest. While it was painful to watch, as his own memories of this time returned to him, he was still glad of it. He’d learned that crying did not make one weak, in fact, it helped release the burden one carried. He was glad his alternate was being afforded this. Loki knew it would help the other man in the future.

Loki sat on the floor and pulled Morgan into his lap, hugging her again. He knew she hated seeing him, any version of him, crying. A fact that was reiterated when she said, “I wish my new Ki wasn’t sad.”

Loki kissed her cheek. “I know sweetie but he needs this.”

“I hate the Bad Man,” Morgan grumbled, pressing her face against his arm. “He needs his butt kicked again.”

“Yes he does,” Loki agreed. “I plan on making sure that happens but the first thing we need to do is help your other Loki to heal.”

Morgan’s scowl turned into a grin. “I gotz two Ki’s.”

Loki kissed her again; his relief at having her back safe and sound was not going to lessen anytime soon. “We should return to the Quinjet,” he said. “He’ll need medical attention.”

Thor’s expression went from worried to panic. “You’re injured?” he asked, gently pulling away from the younger Loki and looking him over. “Where?”

“The physical injuries are no longer there,” Loki said. “He’s malnourished.” At Thor’s furrowed brow Loki said, “He’s starving Thor. Look at him. I know I’m lean but I shouldn’t be _that_ thin. You can’t possibly have missed it.”

The younger Loki’s tunic had fallen slightly from his shoulder, revealing just how gaunt he truly was. He frantically pulled his tunic back in place. Loki could see shame darkening the others cheeks.

“It’s not your fault,” he said gently.

“I should not be this weak,” said younger Loki.

“You are far from weak,” Loki assured him. “Speaking from experience, you _survived,_ which is more than most of _his_ victims can say.”

“I’m not—”

“You are but you don’t have to let it rule you. You don’t have to remain a victim. I refused to give Thanos that victory. Some day, you’ll be able to take your life back as well.”

“You sound so sure about that.”

“I’m living proof of it.” He stood, pulling Morgan up with him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the scepter atop the cabinet. With a snap of his fingers, it disappeared into his dimensional pocket. He looked back at Thor. “While I’m sure you would like to take him to Lady Eir, Asgard is not a good place for him right now. He won’t be able to really heal there.”

“Asgard has the best medical technology,” argued Thor. He stood too, helping younger Loki to his feet.

“Be that as it may, trying to teleport that far in the condition he’s in will do more harm than good. He needs time to heal in peace and trust me; he’d receive no peace in Asgard.”

“He’s right Thor,” younger Loki said. “Asgard hates me and after what I… they have every right to be. Fa… Odin would have no choice but to lock me in the dungeons. I would receive no help there.”

Thor’s eyes darted back and forth between them. “But…”

“We aren’t getting anything accomplished by standing here talking,” Loki said. “Stark went to get some items, which I’m guessing he’s collected by now. There is still much we will have to do before we even _entertain_ going after the Tesseract.”

His younger’s eyes widened with a mix of shock and fear. “You can’t go after it. He— He’ll never let you take it.”

“I need it to get Morgan and myself back to our reality.”

His younger self didn’t appear pleased to hear that. As a matter of fact, he looked frightened by the idea. Loki didn’t blame him in the least. The idea of facing the Titan again made Loki want to flee but he knew he wouldn’t.

Thor pressed a finger to his ear. “Are there medical supplies on the Quinjet?”

There was a brief moment of silence before Banner replied, _“Uh… yeah there’s an EMT kit here. Why?”_

“Saline?” Loki asked.

Another pause, _“No.”_

All right, they would have to find a safe place for his alternate to recover. SHIELD was not an option but Loki was unsure of where else to take him. He wasn’t about to risk anyone from SHIELD or HYDRA getting to either him or Morgan.

_“Everybody meet up at the jet,”_ Barton said. _“I know someplace we can go.”_

“Is it safe?” Thor asked.

_“Safest place on earth.”_

Well with _that_ glowing recommendation… “We’ll meet you there.”

“What about chicken noodle soup for Ki?” Morgan asked.

Internally, Loki sighed. He looked at Thor. “Give me five minutes. You do anything stupid and I’ll let Morgan stab you.” With that he teleported to the nearest store for a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup.

* * *

After procuring the soup, along with several bottles of water, saltine crackers and something for Morgan to eat too, he returned to the tower. They all then returned to the Quinjet. He hadn’t allowed his younger self to put his armor back on and the looks he received obviously made him uncomfortable. Loki found a blanket, which he wrapped around the other’s shoulders. Pulling out one of the water bottles, he handed it to the younger. “Drink. Slowly.”

Younger Loki did as he was told. Loki next opened the saltines, giving him a few of the crackers. Morgan crawled into the seat next to his younger, munching happily on some pop tarts. She broke off a piece and held it out to the younger. “Do you want some?”

“He can’t eat that right now,” Loki said before his alternate could answer. “It’s been a long time since he’s eaten properly. Pop tarts will make his tummy hurt.”

Morgan frowned. “Oh.”

His younger self ate a couple of the crackers then grimaced. He took several deep breaths.

“Nauseous?” Loki asked.

Younger Loki nodded, closing his eyes and tipping his head back against the seat.

Loki rummaged around for something his other self could throw up in if he needed. He felt a soft vibration as the Quinjet took flight.

Off in another corner, Stark sat tinkering with the items he had collected. “How long will it take to get us to this ‘safe house’?”

“A few hours,” Barton replied. “Even with the cloak, I’d rather not go straight there. This place is off of SHIELD’s records so we won’t have to worry about them or HYDRA finding us.”

“You’re sure you want to take them there?” Romanov asked.

Barton glanced back at them from the cockpit. Loki wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man’s expression. “Yeah,” Barton replied, “I’m sure.”

After a few more breaths the younger Loki spoke. “I owe you an apology. What I did to you… what I have done to your realm…”

“Loki,” Thor began.

“You can’t _possibly_ think to defend my actions.”

The Avengers shared silent looks and Barton returned to piloting the craft. The silence which came over them all was deafening.

“What you’ve done, it…” Rogers trailed off, his eyes landing on Morgan. He shook his head, “it’s not entirely your fault.”

It was obvious his younger self wasn’t convinced but when his own eyes fell upon the child sitting beside him he dropped the subject.

The next few hours passed in relative silence. Loki had been given the orb which linked the two realities and while he had shown Tony and Pepper that Morgan was safe and sound he also defended his decision (or more accurately, his order of priorities) in not telling them Morgan had been taken in the first place.

Over the course of the flight, he’d managed to get his younger to drink a couple of bottles of water along with some Pedialyte. When he’d pulled out the Pedialyte, Banner had nodded in approval. Loki knew from experience how unpleasant it was to come back from starvation. It would take time but at least his younger would not be alone while he recovered.

It was shortly past midafternoon when the Quinjet finally touched down. Slowly and with a little trepidation, they exited the craft. They were greeted by the sight of a two-story farmhouse with a barn off to the side. A truck and some farm equipment sat scattered around the yard. Looking around, Loki could spot no other structures. If he had to guess, there wasn’t another building around for miles.

Barton led the way up the dirt driveway and onto the wrap around porch. Thor helped Loki’s younger self along. Loki adjusted Morgan on his hip. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

“Spider Horsey would like this place,” Morgan said. “He’d run everywhere.”

“That he would,” Loki agreed.

“‘Spider Horsey’?” Stark asked.

“Sleipnir,” replied Loki.

“Why does she call him that?”

“He’s a horse with eight legs, hence ‘Spider Horsey’. She gets the nickname thing from you too.”

“What is this place?” Thor asked.

“A safe house,” Barton replied.

“Which entails what, exactly?” Loki asked.

Barton entered the house first, the others trailing behind. Perhaps it was due to the events of the previous day but the lack of sound was putting Loki on edge. He half expected this to be an ambush of some kind.

The inside of the house had the same kind of controlled chaos Loki recognized from having children about. Loki suddenly realized exactly where they were.

“Honey,” Barton called tentatively. “Honey, I’m home.” A woman with long brown hair entered from another room. Surprise flashed across her face as her eyes landed on them. She and Barton greeted each other with a kiss. “Sorry I didn’t call ahead.”

“It’s alright,” Laura replied.

Barton wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “This is my wife, Laura.”

She waved at them. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you all. Clint has told me a lot about you.”

Loki wondered why she wasn’t demanding he leave if Barton had told her about him.

“Really sorry to intrude on you like this ma’am,” Rogers said. “We shouldn’t be a bother to you for very long.”

“It’s no trouble, really,” Laura assured. “I’m just trying to figure out where I’m going to put you all and also how to keep the—”

Her words were interrupted by two small bodies racing into the room and barreling into Barton. Loki bit the inside of his cheek at the shocked expressions the other Avengers sported at the scene.

“Did you know about this?” Stark asked.

“That Barton has children? Yes, although I’m not quite sure when his third child was born.”

The Barton’s startled at his words. “Third child?” Barton asked. He turned to his wife. “Laura?”

“I’m not pregnant,” she said. Looking back at Loki, she furrowed her brow. “Twins?” she asked, gesturing to the two Loki’s.

“I’m from another reality,” Loki said, “Morgan and I both are.” Morgan waved at Laura and he set her down. “Would you like to play with the other children? I think they’re about your age.”

“What about my other Ki?” Morgan asked. “He’s still sick.”

“We’re going to do what we can to help him get better,” said Banner. He turned his attention to the Barton’s. “Is there someplace he can rest?”

“The guest room should already be made up,” Barton answered, extracting himself from his children. “He can stay there. We’ll keep the kids out.”

At Morgan’s slack-jawed gape the younger Loki said, “You can keep me company if you’d like.”

Morgan smiled now, “Okay.”

Barton led Thor and the younger Loki to the guest room. Loki and the others seemed unsure of what to do with themselves.

“Well this is awkward,” Stark said.

The little girl, Lila if Loki remembered correctly, walked up to them, staring at them with wide eyes. She couldn’t have been more than three or four years old. When her eyes found Morgan, she smiled. “Play?” she asked.

Morgan looked up at him and Loki nodded. “You can go play if you’d like.”

Morgan took Lila’s hand and they scampered off. Laura smiled, “She’ll be glad to have another girl around.”

“I’m happy Morgan has someone closer to her age to play with,” replied Loki.

“Let’s get you all settled,” Laura said. “Unfortunately some of you are going to need to double up. I don’t have enough beds for everyone.”

“We’ll survive,” Stark said.

“We really do apologize for the inconvenience,” said Rogers.

“It really is no trouble,” replied Laura as she led them further into the house. After helping everyone to settle, she pulled Loki aside. “Clint told me some of what happened to you and…” her eyes glanced upwards in the direction Loki suspected was the guest room his younger was resting in. “…him. You are all safe here.”

“Thank you, but I’d hate to think we are putting you and your children in danger,” Loki said.

Laura smiled. “You aren’t and even if something were to happen I suspect we’d be well protected.”

Loki nodded, feeling himself beginning to relax. On the few occasions he had met Laura Barton in their reality, he had gotten along well with the woman. She reminded him very much of Pepper.

Another thought occurred to him, “When did your husband have time to tell you about us?”

Laura shrugged, “He told me about it after you all came back from Asgard.”

Barton returned a short time later. “Loki’s resting,” his eyes fell on Loki. “The other Loki, our Loki.” He shook his head, “It’s so weird having two of you here.”

“I suppose you could think of us as twins,” Loki replied.

“Doesn’t help with the names,” Romanov said.

“Can’t really help you there.”

“Anyway,” Barton continued, “Thor’s going to stay with him for a while and Dr. Banner wants to try to get some more fluids in him and slowly start him on solid foods again.” He looked at his wife, “I know we still have some medical supplies but I’ll have to make a run for more.”

“What does he need?” Loki asked.

Barton pulled a list from his pocket and handed it to Loki. Loki read it over and played with the corner of the paper. “I can get this,” he offered.

“Is it a good idea for you to be seen?” Stark asked. “We did essentially kidnap you.”

Loki nodded in agreement. “I prefer ‘rescued’ to ‘kidnap' but we can always argue semantics later. Here’s the thing you all seem to forget,” Loki shifted his form, taking on the appearance of Rogers, “I can become anyone I want.”

“That is _so_ weird,” Stark commented.

Loki returned to his normal form with a shrug. “Morgan enjoys it, especially when I’m making fun of all of you.” To Rogers he said, “Still don’t understand the costume.”

“Anyway,” Barton continued, “if we’re going on a supply run we should probably head out soon. If we do have any saline bags it’ll only be one or two and Dr. Banner was pretty insist about the medication.”

Loki hummed in agreement. He let his gaze travel to the living room where Morgan sat playing with Lila and Cooper. “How long do you expect us to be gone?”

“It’ll take at least an hour to drive into town,” Barton said. His eyes followed Loki’s. “She’s safe here.”

“I know,” Loki sighed. “Logically I know she is but…”

“Your gut is telling you don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Exactly.”

“Ask yourself this, do you really want to bring her with you?”

“No. I know she is safe here. Besides, I would rather not take her away from her new playmates. Morgan having something to occupy herself with that doesn’t have anything to do with what’s been going on is all the better.” He stepped into the living room where the children were playing. He knelt down beside them and drew Morgan’s attention.

“Morgan, Mr. Barton and I have to leave for a little bit to run some errands.”

“I wanna go with you,” Morgan said, putting down the toy she was playing with.

“Don’t you want to keep playing with your new friends?” Morgan seemed torn at his words. “If you come with me, who is going to keep your other Loki company?”

That seemed to be just the incentive she needed to stay behind. “I’ll watch Ki.”

Loki smiled. “Good. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” Morgan threw her arms around him. “Wuv you Ki.”

“I love you too,” he replied. “You be good all right.”

“I will,” she promised.

Loki gave her a kiss then stood and returned to the kitchen. “I want to tell Thor and Loki what we are doing,” he paused, “and I’m not sure I’ll ever become used to talking about myself like that.”

Barton led him upstairs to the guest room where his alternate was resting. Loki was once again taken aback at the state of the younger Loki. He remembered doing what he could to make it appear as if he was somewhat healthy but in the case of the other man, now that he was free it appeared as if he didn’t bother to try. The younger Loki appeared so frail that Loki honestly feared for his life.

Loki mentality shook himself. “Barton and I are going to get supplies. We shouldn’t be long. Morgan is going to stay here,” he turned his attention to Thor, “so if you could _please_ make sure she remains safe.”

“I will watch her brother,” replied Thor. “Actually, after you return do you think you could take Stark and me to Asgard? Stark wishes to speak with Heimdall about interfacing his device with Bifröst to speed up the repairs.”

“I suppose,” Loki said. “Depending on when we return I’ll probably bring Morgan with us. That is if,” he gestured to his younger self, “she hasn’t attached herself to his side.”

“I don’t understand why she isn’t afraid of me,” said younger Loki.

“Do you want her to be?” Loki asked.

“No, but after everything I’ve done she should be terrified.”

“Morgan doesn’t care about that. She knows I did some very terrible things before she was born although we’ve never given her the details. You’re Loki. Morgan could care less about anything else. I should warn you though that once she does come in here she’ll probably become your own personal cling on and nothing short of the end of the world will pull her away.”

“You sound like you know that from experience,” said Barton.

Loki nodded, a small smile coming to his lips. “I do. I became ill with a very deadly disease to mages a couple of years ago. I nearly died from it and even when I was in a coma, Morgan never left my side. I was forced into my natural form, something that still turns my stomach but…”

Younger Loki’s brow furrowed, “She drew on herself with blue marker. She wanted to look like you.” His eyes went wide now. “You… the Mage Disease?”

“Yep.”

“How?”

“Story for another time. Suffice to say, it sucked.”

“Is this ‘Mage Disease’ something we need to worry about?” Banner asked.

“No, it was a genetically engineered virus and I have the antibodies as it is now. If I was still carrying the disease I would be dying.”

“That’s good to know, I guess.” Banner gestured to Loki’s younger. “The last thing he needs is to be exposed to a contagion. Given his level of malnourishment his immune system is currently compromised.”

“Then Barton and I shall endeavor to be quick.” With a nod to those in the room, he and Barton left to acquire the requested supplies.

* * *

Loki fell asleep shortly after Barton and his elder self had left. It felt as if, now that he was no longer under the influence of the scepter, the exhaustion he had held at bay for so long finally hit him full force. He wanted nothing more than to sleep while at the same time it was the one thing he dreaded. He feared not only the nightmares but also the prospect that The Other would try to take his mind from him again.

In the end, it hadn’t mattered as his body had finally given in to the one thing it craved. Well, besides food that is.

He was unsure of how long he slept but when he awoke, Thor was gone and there was an IV drip attached to him. There was also a warm weight curled up against his side.

Forcing his bleary eyes back open, Loki realized the weight was where Morgan lay against him, playing on the elder’s phone. It still amazed him how this child held absolutely no fear of him.

“Youz awake Ki?” Morgan asked, setting the phone aside and tipping her head up to look at him.

“Sort of,” he muttered. At least that’s what he thought he’d said. He wasn’t quite sure actually. “What time is it?”

Morgan shrugged. “I don’ know. I can’t read time yet. Ki’s teaching me a little.”

Loki felt his eyes drooping again and he really didn’t have the strength to fight off his fatigue.

The next time he awoke he opened his eyes long enough to see that the sun appeared to be rising. Loki wasn’t entirely sure, for all he knew it could be setting, or perhaps it hadn’t moved much at all. It was possible his sleep had only lasted a few short minutes.

Morgan must have gotten bored and left as the weight against his side was gone. He was curious as to how long he had slept.

“Well you were asleep long before I arrived and that was well over two days ago.”

Loki’s eyes shot wide open at the sound of a voice he never expected to hear. He turned his head in the direction of the voice and tears sprung forth as his eyes landed on a most beautiful sight.

His mother sat at his bedside smiling at him. Loki knew this had to be a hallucination but it was one he would gladly let himself become lost in. His heart leapt into his throat when she squeezed his hand.

“This is no dream dearheart. I am here.”

His tears fell in earnest and he forced himself onto his side, trying to drag himself closer to her. His mother stood from her seat and moved onto the bed, pulling him into her arms. His cries grew louder once he was within the safety of her embrace. His voice caught when he tried to speak.

“M-m-am…” his chest shuddered, breaths catching in his throat, “m-mama.”

Her fingers gently carded through his hair and she rocked him ever so gently. “I’m here sweetheart. I’m here.”

Loki gripped at her dress, repeating, “mama,” as he continued to cry against her. “Really here?” he eventually asked.

His mother rocked him gently; her presence soothing wounds he hadn’t realized were there. “Yes Loki,” she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m really here.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki gasped. “Mama I’m so sorry.”

“I know sweetheart, I know. You need to calm yourself Loki. You’ll make yourself sick.”

It took all of Loki’s effort to calm himself and even then, his cries did not completely cease. After some time, he asked, “H-how?”

“How am I here?”

Loki nodded.

His mother gently wiped the tears from his eyes. “When Loki brought Thor to Asgard he returned to the palace to collect some of your things for you, clothing mainly. He asked that I accompany them when they returned. He said my presence would do you much good. I have to admit, when he told me they had found you, it was my wish to be at your side.” His mother paused, her own voice holding much emotion. “Oh my sweet baby boy. My heart aches at what has been done to you.”

“It hurt mama,” he admitted between sobs. “There was so much pain. I couldn’t take it any longer. I swore to do whatever they wanted just to make it stop. Please forgive me for being so weak.”

His mother inhaled sharply and pulled back. Her eyes were wide, shock and horror reflecting in their cerulean depths. “You think yourself weak because you finally broke to their torture?”

“Aren’t I?”

“No. No Loki, of course not. What was done to you, what you have survived would have _killed_ anyone else.”

“Thor would never have broken.”

“Thor would have _died._ ”

That… made no sense. Thor would not have perished. He would have fought and conquered his captors. Thor would have destroyed them; he never would have given in to their demands.

His own voice spoke from the doorway. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Loki twisted around enough to see the elder Loki enter the room. He came to perch on the edge of the bed. “Then you agree with me?”

The elder shook his head. “At one time I would have but not anymore.”

“What you say makes no sense. I never…” He lay his head against his mother, exhaustion washing over him. “I never should have survived.” His eyes fell closed. _I wish I had died,_ he thought.

“The hardest thing for you will be forgiving yourself. You also need to learn not to compare yourself to Thor. Thor is strong, there is no doubt about it but…” the elder sighed. “…but mother is right, Thor would have died as Thanos’s prisoner.”

“Thor never would have allowed himself to be captured in the first place,” Loki argued.

The elder Loki shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not. The fact remains that you did what you had to in order to survive and anyone who claims they would have done otherwise or never would have broken are _liars._ ” Here he paused, seemingly contemplating his next words. “When I told my Thor, Tony and Pepper what Thanos and his Children had done to me they were horrified. They also… They also didn’t blame me for what I had done. It’s amazing what ones survival instinct will lead them to do. What I did, what we both did, while I do regret it, if I were ever back in that situation with the same option I would do it all over again. I refuse to apologize for having to do what I needed to survive.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Yes and while it does sound simple it really isn’t. I’ll admit, there are some days where I wonder if I should have just let myself die but then I think about how things would have turned out if I had and also all of the things I would have missed. I’m glad I survived and while I do wish there had been a better way I know there wasn’t. _You_ are not responsible for Thanos’s actions.”

Loki regretfully pulled away from his mother. As much as he wished to remain within her embrace, the position he had been lying in was becoming quite uncomfortable. He sat back against his pillows, careful of the IV in his hand and closed his eyes against the wave of dizziness the movement had produced.

His mother adjusted her position as well, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him to rest against her. Her fingers carding though his hair began to lull him back to sleep.

He thought about the other’s words. As much as he felt responsible for the destruction Thanos had brought down upon Midgard, the untold lives lost, Loki realized there had been no way for him to stop the Titan in his plan. Thanos’s goal is to bring about some sort of sick balance and that balance can only be achieved through mass murder. While he had helped the Titan, it had been completely against his will.

“Hey Ki.”

Loki’s eyes opened to see Morgan entering the room, carrying a small round object. Her eyes found him and she grinned wide. She dropped the object, which caused something that sounded like muffled voices to emanate from it, and crawled onto the bed. “Youz awake.” She scooted over to him.

“Careful of the IV Morgan,” the elder Loki said.

Morgan carefully pushed the line out of her way then pulled at his fingers just enough for him to understand that she wanted him to lift his arm. He did so and she curled up against his other side, wrapping an arm as far around his torso as she could. “Are you feeling better Ki?”

“Yes,” Loki replied and realized his answer actually rang true.

“Good,” Morgan’s arm tightened around him for a moment. Her expression turned serious as she gazed up at his mother. “Ki needs lots and lots of huggies and kissies.”

“Yes he does,” his mother agreed, reinforcing the point by pressing a kiss to his temple. Loki felt his eyes water once more.

The other Loki scoffed, crossing his arms. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

Morgan gasped. She carefully crawled away from him and into the other Loki’s lap, hugging him as well. “You getz huggies,” she then grabbed his face, turning it to the side to plant a wet kiss to his cheek, “and kissies too.”

“Thank you. What did you need me for?”

“Oh,” she crawled from his lap and he winced then quickly wiped at his cheek before she could see. Morgan retrieved what she had dropped earlier. “Daddy and T’or wants to talk to you.”

She handed his other the object and Loki could see his brother and Stark reflected within it. Stark appeared older, his hair shot through with many more strands of gray than Loki remembered.

“Sorry to bug you,” Stark said from within the orb, “we just wanted to see how things were going.”

“As well as can be expected,” the elder Loki replied. “It will take them at least a month to rebuild the Observatory, maybe longer, but the biggest problem is how to transfer the power from the device you and your counterpart are creating with the Bifröst. We can’t exactly use a pair of jumper cables.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. Do you think there would be a way for you to use your magic voodoo powers to help?”

The elder cocked an eyebrow. “‘Magic voodoo powers’?”

Stark waved him off. “You know what I mean. How’s your not-so-evil twin doing?”

Morgan snatched the orb from the elder Loki and shuffled across the bed, shoving the orb in Loki’s face. “Ki’s getting better, see.”

“Morgan, I was talking to Loki.”

“I know but daddy, look, I gotz two Ki’s now.”

Stark ran a hand down his face. “Yes, I see that sweetie but I doubt he wants to talk to me and I really need to talk to _our_ Loki about how to get you two home.”

Morgan blew out a breath, rolled her eyes and held up the orb again. “But look at him daddy. Look at him!”

“Oh for the love of… Morgan, he’s not a cat.”

The other Loki moved closer, bringing him within sight of the orb, “But he can be.”

“You are _so_ not helping Merlin.” Stark returned his attention to his daughter. “Morgan, we’ve talked about this. You cannot kidnap another Loki.”

His mother chuckled softly and Loki found himself smiling at their antics as well. “He does have a point,” Loki said.

Stark groaned, “I’ve already seen what you look like when you’re sick and you do look half dead as it is so I doubt turning yourself into a cat is good for your health right now. And please, for the love of all that is holy, do _not_ enable her.”

“I hope the Barton household can handle having two versions of my brother under one roof,” Thor said.

“What are you trying to imply?” the elder Loki asked.

“We both know what happens when you have idle hands brother and I can recall the various times you were forced abed for long periods. Right now there isn’t much any of us can do until the Bifröst is repaired and the Observatory rebuilt. Then there is the fact that you are a _terrible_ patient. I’m sure that’s a quality your alternate shares as well.”

“Since we’re on the topic of our alternates sharing our qualities, _your_ alternate is such a mother hen that I’ve had to forcibly remove him from the room. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to _sit_ on Loki, which as I recall you practically did when I had Seiðr-Eyða.”

Thor winced, “What did you turn him into?”

Loki’s alternate smirked, “What did I turn him into _this time?_ ”

“Oh you didn’t?”

The smirk turned into a grin. “It was originally going to be a Lab but that was too big so I went with a Pomeranian. Never realized just how yippee those dogs are, so now he’s a rabbit. Barton’s children _love_ him. I may even let them keep him as a pet for a while.”

Loki burst out laughing at the mental image.

“I gotz pictures!” Morgan exclaimed. “We even made him a tiny red cape and Ki gotz him his feathers and a tiny hammer.” She scooted from the bed and ran from the room yelling, “I’ll gets the pictures!”

“Okay so, even though he’s not Point Break here, I definitely want pictures,” Stark said, “because that’s hilarious.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” said other Loki.

Morgan returned, bearing the other Loki’s phone. “I gotz the pictures.”

“Those are perfect for future blackmail purposes but we can do better.” Alternate Loki disappeared only to reappear a moment later with a golden rabbit in his hands. Dropping the animal on the bed Loki saw that it did indeed have a red cape, feathered helm and a tiny hammer attached at its waist. The rabbit made a decidedly angry noise. “Don’t be like that. Remember I could have always turned you into a frog again.”

Thor, because that was definitely his brother, hopped over to the other Loki and continued making the angry noises.

“Isn’t he cute daddy?” Morgan asked.

“Oh yeah, definitely adorbs,” Stark replied, trying and failing to repress a smile.

“He’s so _fluffy!_ ”

“You gave him a tiny Mjölnir,” the other Thor asked.

“Well he doesn’t have Stormbreaker, though if you’d like…” the other Loki raised a hand.

The other Thor brought his hands up as if warding off an attack, “ _No, no_ it’s good, it’s fine… Uh… Hey Banner, how’s that thingamajig coming along?” His image hastily disappeared from the orb.

Stark and both Loki’s laughed. “That is a good look for you brother,” Loki said when he was able.

Rabbit-Thor paused then turned and hopped over to him, coming to rest in Loki’s lap. He hunkered down and began to purr. Loki pet behind Thor’s ears.

Morgan came up next to him and started to pet Thor as well. “He’s so tiny,” she said.

“Travel sized for your convenience,” his elder quipped. He moved around the bed and picked Morgan up. “We should let Loki get some more rest.”

Morgan frowned, “Okay but he needs another kissy first.” She bent backwards and twisted so that she could kiss his cheek. Loki was amazed at how nimble the child was. “I’s come back later.”

“I’ll be here,” Loki said. Morgan waved at him as she and the other Loki left the room.

Loki could not believe how his fortunes had changed. Only a few short days ago he had still been a virtual prisoner of Thanos and his ilk and now… Now he was free, his mother and brother at his side, a version of himself that gave him hope that he could come back from what had been done to him and a Midgardian child who only cared that he was Loki and loved him because of that simple fact.

Loki fell asleep with the feel of his mother’s fingers carding through his hair and his brother purring in his lap. The spark of hope from earlier blossomed into a blaze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't intended on going the Ultron route of using the Barton farm as a safe house but they ended up there anyway. I swear I'm not even writing this anymore, I'm just following the characters and recording everything they do. 
> 
> So I have a problem with the ages of Barton’s kids because Marvel is _terrible_ with continuity. In Endgame they show Lila to be a teenager while in Age of Ultron she is obviously a little girl. There was no way she was any older than maybe six or seven in Age of Ultron and I would place Cooper at around nine or ten, although Cooper was portrayed by the same actor for both Ultron and Endgame. Also, take into account that the universe they’re in is three years prior Ultron so for the sake of this story Lila is about Morgan’s age and Cooper is about six.


	12. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki the younger continues to heal, Thor opens mouth and inserts foot and the plan to collect the Time Stone is underway. The Younger Loki has a heart to heart with the elder Thor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again Cooper is about six and Lila is about four. I do interchange “Ancient One” and “Sorcerer Supreme” since both titles do refer to the same person since Strange isn’t there yet. More notes on her at the end.

**_Twelve_ **

The next couple of weeks consisted of planning their next moves along with giving the younger Loki time to heal. After the first week in bed allowing the younger to rest and slowly allow his body to become accustomed to simple nutrients, he began to eat solid foods again. As the strength of his seiðr returned, his body began to heal much quicker. He’d already begun to put on much needed weight.

Loki sat in the barn, chin resting on his hand as he contemplated the best way to remove the Mind Stone from the scepter. The gem in the scepter glowed with an eerie blue light. Loki could feel the corruption, something he had never noticed in his reality. He supposed it made sense that Thanos would find a way to bastardize one of the Infinity Stones.

He looked up at the sound of children playing and he sent the scepter away before any of the children could enter the barn. He stood just as the door opened. “Ki,” Morgan poked her head in; followed by Lila and Cooper, “can you make T’or a bunny again?”

Loki chuckled, “Why?”

“‘Cause I think Ki’s gonna stab him. What’cha doing?”

Loki herded them from the barn, “Plotting world domination.”

“Really?”

“No,” he followed the children from the barn. “Why do you think Thor is going to be stabbed?” He had his answer as soon as they stepped outside. The younger Loki was walking away from the house, his shoulders tense, and Thor was trailing behind saying something that Loki was too far away to hear.

The younger Loki stopped, spun on his heal and yelled, “Stop following me! I’m not an invalid Thor, I don’t need more rest. What I _need_ is fresh air, sunshine and for you to _stop hovering!_ I already have a mother Thor; you don’t need to take on the role as well.”

Oh yeah, Thor was _totally_ about to be stabbed.

Thor held up his hands, trying for placating. “But brother…”

“If you do not stop trying to baby me,” the younger growled, “I will turn you into something far _worse_ than a rabbit.”

“Since he wants to mother hen, perhaps that’s exactly what he should be turned into,” Loki said as he and the children approached the others. “Maybe he would lay an egg or two.”

“You should be on my side,” Thor said. “Loki needs rest.”

“What he needs if for you to stop smothering him. All you’re doing is stressing him out which is the worst thing you can do while he’s trying to recover.”

Thor’s blue eyes darted back and forth between them. His shoulders drooped, “I only want for you to heal, brother.”

“I know you do Thor,” the younger Loki replied in a much softer tone, “but the hovering,” he picked at the skin of his hand, “is making me feel trapped. I understand you and mother are both worried about me and while I do appreciate it, maybe back off just a little bit?”

“I will try.”

“No, you will do it because if you don’t, not only will I turn you into something for the children to play with, I _will_ stab you.”

“Stabby, stabby, stabby, stabby,” Morgan sang. She turned to the other children. “Ki says if you’re gonna stab someone you gotz to get between the ribs.”

“But I can’t reach,” Lila said.

“I can,” Cooper said. The two children paused, sharing a look. “Where are the ribs?”

“Right about… _here,_ ” the younger Loki jabbed Thor in the side, causing the older brother to yelp.

“Don’t _do_ that!” Thor yelled.

“Then stop antagonizing your brother,” Frigga said as she and Laura stepped out onto the porch.

“I’m not antagonizing him,” Thor argued. “He’s pushing himself too hard mother.”

“Taking a short walk is not pushing myself,” replied younger Loki.

“And what if you’re spotted by the Chitauri? What will you do then?”

“Your argument is invalid,” Loki said. “Not only has there not been a single patrol but I have been out and about.”

“You can place a glamour over yourself.”

Loki felt an eyebrow twitch, his expression mirrored by his alternate. He manifested one of Morgan’s blades and handed it to the girl. “Go for the thigh.”

Morgan grinned as she took the blade, “yes!”

“Loki,” Frigga admonished, stepping closer to them, “what are you teaching her?”

“His bad habits,” Thor said, crossing his arms.

“Apparently,” Frigga took Morgan’s hand and adjusted her grip on the dagger. “Like this honey.”

Thor shrieked, “Mother!”

“I’d say aim for his backside,” Laura put in, “but I’m not sure damaging such a fine specimen is worth it.”

Thor’s face turned bright red. “Aren’t you married?”

“Yes, however there is nothing against looking, so long as I don’t touch. Clint has the same stipulation for him.”

Thor let out a yelp as Morgan jabbed her dagger against his butt. The blade was not sharp and the tip blunted so there was no real damage done, except perhaps to Thor’s pride. The women laughed and the younger Loki crossed his arms. “Serves you right.”

Loki took back the dagger and sent the children off to go play once more. He and his alternate left the others and began to walk down the long driveway. He chuckled to himself as Thor went inside to tend to his wound.

After a few minutes, Loki broke the silence that had formed between them. “How are you doing?”

“Better than I would have ever thought.”

“The dreams?”

The other Loki looked away. “I don’t know how I haven’t woken the house at night,” he admitted, “or Thor at the very least.”

“I sound proofed the room and may have put a spell on Thor so he wouldn’t notice. I know you wouldn’t want mother and Thor to worry. They hover enough as it is. There’s nothing they could do for the dreams anyway.”

“Thank you.” There was another moment of silence before the younger spoke again. “I don’t understand why everyone is being so nice to me. How can they trust me?”

“I’ve told them what you’ve been through.”

“They shouldn’t trust me. I could still betray them.”

“You won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Loki called forth the scepter and the younger recoiled so violently he nearly tripped over himself to get away. “That’s how I know,” Loki replied, sending the scepter away once more.

Breathing hard and obviously trying to slow his rapidly beating heart the younger said, “Why haven’t you gotten rid of that? The Other will use it to try and find me.” A shiver ran through him. “He promised a fate worse than death.”

“I know, but the Mind Stone won’t let them find you.”

“That makes no sense. It never wanted to let me go to begin with.” His brow furrowed as something occurred to him. “Why did it let me go in the first place?”

“It never wanted to harm you.”

“How can you know that?”

Loki looked back towards the house. They were far enough away that there was no way their conversation would be overheard. If anyone had a right to know about Infinity, it was his counterpart.

“If he hasn’t done so already, Thanos will have the Infinity Gauntlet made.”

“But… the one in the Vault?”

“Is a fake.”

“I don’t know why that surprises me,” the younger remarked drily.

“Thanos needs the Gauntlet in order to wield the Stones. He also needs to collect them and by my estimation, he only has the Space Stone. By giving you the scepter he’s lost the Mind Stone, he _may_ know where the Power Stone is but that’s it. The others still elude him. I, on the other hand, know where all six are.”

“What does any of that have to do with what you were saying about the Mind Stone not wanting to harm me?”

“The Stones have a vessel that was born to wield them safely and allow the entity created by their coming together to return to what it once was.”

“You’re talking about The Infinity.”

Loki nodded, “I am.”

“This vessel? It’s a living being?”

Again, Loki nodded.

The other stopped, realization dawning on him. “You know who the vessel is.”

“I do,” Loki affirmed.

“I’m not going to like what you’re about to tell me, am I?” He stepped away, wringing his hands. “It’s Thor, isn’t it?”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. “What?” He’d thought that he’d made it quite obvious who the vessel was. Then again, the younger Loki’s self-esteem was at an all time low so it was no wonder he hadn’t made the connection.

“It’s Thor. He’s the vessel.”

Loki couldn’t help himself, he laughed. “Hardly.”

The younger stopped and turned around. “Why do you say that?”

“Why do you think Thor’s the vessel?” countered Loki.

The younger shrugged. “He’s Thor,” he said as if that was all the answer needed. “He’s worthy of Mjölnir, he’s righteous, he’s… everything I’m not.”

“Trust me, it’s not Thor. The collective power of the Stones would kill him. Thanos barely survived his using them in my reality.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. You share those same qualities Thor has,” Loki held up a hand before the younger could argue, “but the reason you don’t see it is because it was never acknowledged. The vessel—”

“No,” younger Loki interrupted, “don’t tell me who it is.”

“Why not?”

“If we go after Thanos and I’m somehow compromised by Maw or The Other regains control of the scepter, I don’t want to risk putting anyone in danger. Should Thanos learn about the vessel you know as well as I that he would do everything in his power to control it.”

His counterpart had a point, although he didn’t think that would be an issue. The younger Loki was stronger than he realized but Loki would respect his wishes, for now.

“We still have some time,” Loki reminded the other man. “As for the scepter, I plan to remove the Stone. It’ll be harmless soon. Also, there’s no point in worrying about invading Sanctuary until we get Bifröst repaired anyway. I have been thinking about how to get close enough to Thanos to strike.”

“Oh?”

Loki nodded. “I’ll tell you when we have everyone together. I really don’t want to go over it twice.”

They turned and headed back for the house. “He’ll come back,” the younger said softly, “Thanos knows there is another Infinity Stone here and he’ll never abide losing the Mind Stone.” He lifted his gaze to the sky, “I’m surprised he hasn’t returned already.”

“He probably doesn’t have the power,” Loki said. “Remember, it was our ability to world-walk that even allowed him to focus the Tesseract to open the portal here in the first place. Without that, he would have to come in ships. I’m sure he’ll send Gamora and Nebula after the Power Stone but he still doesn’t know the location of the Reality or Soul Stones.”

“That isn’t very comforting.”

“Well, how about I tell you something about yourself I’m sure you would like to know?” The younger gave him a questioning look. “It’s about your heritage.”

The younger scoffed, “I know what it makes me; I have no need for a reminder.”

“Actually this isn’t something you would have figured out on your own. Honestly the only reason we discovered it was by accident.”

“Discovered what?” Younger Loki’s expression shifted to reflect almost betrayal, “Have you… Have you _embraced_ being…” He seemed to choke on the word.

“Jötunn? You can say it and it’s still a work in progress. I’ve accepted that it’s a part of myself I can’t change but it doesn’t define who I am. Yes, I’m Jötunn but I’m also Ǽsir and like Thor was always reminding me, Asgardian is a culture, not a species.”

The younger looked at him with confusion, “How can you… can _we_ be Ǽsir?”

“That’s what we discovered by accident. Turns out Farbauti was Odin’s older sister.”

“One more thing he neglected to mention?” Younger Loki asked angrily.

“No, that was one he didn’t know about,” Loki replied. “Surprised us all, actually. It explains why we are able to hold this form,” he gestured between them, “subconsciously. It’s as much a natural form as our Jötunn form is. Granted Jötunn is the more,” he gestured vaguely as he tried to think of the right word, “base? Default? It’s what we’ll revert to under the power of the Casket or say suppression of our seiðr but the Ǽsir traits are, strangely enough, the more dominant. It explains why we were born so small, for a Giant.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Loki giving the younger time to process the information Loki had given him. The sound of the children laughing as they played brought a smile to Loki’s lips.

Having caught sight of them, Morgan waved, yelling, “Hi Ki!”

Loki waved back and the children returned to their play. Loki cocked his head at the look on the younger Loki’s face. “What is it?”

“It’s still hard to believe.”

“What is?”

“That little girl… I cannot ever remember having anyone...”

“I know what you mean. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it is real. She loves you too.”

“Because she’s basing everything she thinks about me on you.”

“Not at all. Morgan may only be four but she does know there are two of us. She has been telling everyone that she has ‘two Ki’s now.’ Honestly if she could she would bring you to our reality and parade you around to show everyone and probably gloat that she has the two of us.”

“She had no fear of me.” When Loki sent his younger a questioning look, the other man explained, “When she was brought to me at the tower, she had no fear of me. She even told Rumlow I would ‘kick his butt’.”

“The first time she spotted you on television she noticed, before Thor even, that you were not yourself.”

“She kept saying I was sick.”

“You were, but you’re getting better now.”

The younger looked down at his hands, picking at his fingernails. “My dreams aren’t all bad. I think I’ve somehow been experiencing your memories. The first time I saw Morgan, I knew her from my dreams.”

Strangely enough, that made sense. “Let me ask you something. When Rumlow was threatening Morgan, did he have someone speak to you? Someone who called himself ‘Mr. Secretary’?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have the scepter with you?”

The other’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I was holding it, why?”

“Because I think our minds are linked somehow. When I heard a man by the name of Alexander Pierce speak, his voice triggered a memory of that conversation and I _knew_ that he was the one who had ordered Morgan’s abduction.”

“How is that possible?”

“The Stones exist across all realities. I think the Mind Stone somehow gave me that information.”

“But that would mean…” the younger turned away, biting his lip. Loki thought the younger had put together the information about Infinity’s vessel that he was going to tell him earlier. It was something the other was obviously not comfortable with.

“There’s no point in worrying about it now,” Loki pointed out. “We have time and we’ll have a plan before we confront Thanos.” He gestured to the house. “Let’s see if Thor’s recovered from his wounded pride.”

* * *

It was a few nights later, after the children had gone to bed that the Avengers and both Loki’s gathered inside the barn. Loki had managed to separate the Mind Stone from the scepter earlier in the day and had both the Mind and Reality Stones sitting on the workbench beside him.

The younger Loki stood as far away from the Stones as he could without actually leaving the barn.

“Two out of six,” Stark said. “It’s a start.”

“Unfortunately only one of them is a Stone we need,” replied Loki.

“Have we figured out how we’re going to get the one we do need?” Romanov asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Loki said. “We know Thanos had Loki searching for the Time Stone. If we can convince the Ancient One to let us borrow it we could use it as a way in to Thanos’s good graces, limited as that is.”

“You want to _give_ Thanos an Infinity Stone?” Banner asked.

“No but letting him think I am may be the only way to get close enough without rousing suspicion.”

“What to you mean by ‘you’?” inquired younger Loki. “You can’t think to go in my place.”

“You’re still healing and while I know you’ll be physically healed by the time we do this—”

“ _You_ can’t go after Thanos! I’ll go.”

“Loki,” Thor began.

“You can’t leave Morgan,” continued the younger as though Thor hadn’t spoken. “If the worst were to happen to you… You can’t do that to her.”

“I don’t want to leave her,” Loki admitted, “but I don’t have a choice. I have to do this. If I don’t, I can’t get her back home. Her parents are not in this reality, not as she knows them. Tony and Pepper want their daughter back and I’ll do everything I have to, to see her returned to them.”

“You seem pretty confident that Thanos won’t gain possession of the Stones,” Rogers remarked.

“I am,” Loki affirmed.

“But you can’t _know_ that,” argued his younger.

“Sure I can.”

They all looked at him as if he were crazy. Perhaps he was, a little.

“How?”

“Remember what we spoke of the other day?”

Younger Loki pressed his lips together and turned his eyes away.

“Care to elaborate?” Stark asked.

“No.” Loki crossed his arms and leaned back against the bench. “Listen, we can argue this all we want but the fact of the matter is, we don’t have a better plan nor are we likely to come up with one. I wish there was a better way but right now this is all we’ve got.”

“If you gave us some more time,” Stark said, “I’m sure we could find a way to recreate the Tesseract’s ability to move through space.”

“I’m sure you could,” Loki replied, “but there’s more to it than that.”

“Like what?” Rogers inquired.

“Even if we did find a different way to send Morgan and myself back to our reality, that only solves one problem.”

“What’s the other problem?”

“Thanos,” replied Loki’s younger. “Even after all that has already been done to your world, far worse will happen if he obtains all six Infinity Stones.”

“He’s already murdered half the world,” Barton pointed out, “what could be worse than that?”

“Yes, and if he gets the Stones, it will be half the universe,” Loki said, “and once he’s done with that, he’ll destroy the Stones so his destruction can’t be reversed.”

“Except that you all managed to fix it,” Romanov pointed out.

“That’s only because we did something we probably never should have. We went through time and the Norns only know the ramifications of that. Think about it, this reality came about because we removed the Time Stone. In essence my reality screwed yours over.”

“Is that why you want to stay?” Thor asked. “You feel responsible.”

“Partly,” Loki admitted, “but also, there should never be a reality in existence where Thanos wins. I didn’t want to bring this up before since I didn’t want to create false hope but… If we can defeat Thanos we _might_ be able to reverse the damage he has caused here.”

“Everyone he murdered,” said Rogers.

“Yes, however the problem with that is we would require the Soul Stone.”

“Why is that a problem?” asked Banner.

Loki sighed, crossing his arms. “The Soul Stone requires a sacrifice.”

“What kind of sacrifice?” Thor asked warily.

“Whomever wishes to acquire the Stone, must lose the one thing they love the most. Essentially, sacrificing one soul for another. It’s how the Stone determines whether or not the one seeking it is worthy.”

“So how the hell did Thanos get it?” Barton asked. “There’s no way Thanos actually _loves_ someone.”

“While I do agree with you, Thanos did love Gamora, in his own twisted way. He murdered her to obtain the Soul Stone.”

“How did you get it?” Banner asked.

“I wasn’t the one to go after that one. It was Barton and Romanov who acquired it.” Silence fell as the ramification of his words sunk in.

Rogers broke the silence. “What about the vessel? Could whoever this person is, get the Stone without having to kill anyone?”

“I don’t know,” Loki replied honestly.

“We have no idea where the vessel is,” Thor pointed out.

“Loki knows,” Romanov reminded them.

“Loki…” Stark trailed off. His eyes darted around as his mind buzzed, his expression shifting from confusion to contemplation to realization. He opened his mouth to speak before it snapped shut.

“Stark?”

Stark shook his head. “Forget it.”

“Are you _absolutely_ certain Thanos will come back here?” Rogers asked, returning to the previous topic of conversation.

“Yes,” replied younger Loki. “He knows the Time Stone is here and he’ll hunt me down to take back the Mind Stone.” He crossed his arms and frowned, fear flashing across his face. “I think you never should have freed me from the influence of the Mind Stone.”

Shocked, Thor gasped, “Why would you say that?”

“Thanos may be unable to come to Midgard the same way I was sent here but he will be back, in ships. He’ll destroy your whole world, leave no one alive as retribution. He doesn’t abide failure, traitors less so and that’s what he’ll see me as.”

“You were tortured by Thanos, how can he even begin to think you were ever loyal to him?”

“Because of the brainwashing,” Loki replied. “He believes the Mind Stone to be infallible and I suppose it is except that once he placed it in the scepter he changed how it acted. Even though the Stones aren’t sentient individually they do still have a mind of their own, limited as it is.”

“Is that why the Stone let Loki go without having to crack him upside the head?” asked Barton.

Loki shrugged, “Maybe? I may have somehow had something to do with it. I think our minds are linked.”

“Linked how?” Banner asked.

“Through the Mind Stone, though I can’t be absolutely certain about that. It would also explain how I knew about Pierce.”

“It does?”

“When Rumlow attempted to bargain with me for Morgan’s life,” younger Loki began, “he had me speak to a man who called himself ‘Mr. Secretary’ and I was holding the scepter during all of this.”

“Are you saying you can read each other’s minds?” Romanov asked.

“Not in the way you’re thinking,” Loki said. “You have to remember; I _was_ him,” he pointed to his younger, “twelve years ago in my reality. If I had to take a guess, my ability to block out the Mind Stones’ influence is what helped break his connection to it so early.”

Was that what he truly thought? Not one bit, his real theory as to how the connection was broken had to do with Infinity. He knew the entity hated the harm it had been forced to cause him. If his being in this reality had broken the forced connection between this reality’s Loki and the Mind Stone, all the better.

“So about the other Stones?” Rogers asked.

“We know Thanos has the Space Stone,” Loki replied, “the Time Stone is in New York City, the Soul Stone will be on Vormir, and the Power Stone is on Morag.”

“The Time Stone is in New York?” younger Loki asked.

Loki nodded, “It’s guarded by the Ancient One. Apparently, the Sanctum she’s at is in New York City on… Bleeker Street, I think.”

“Wait,” Banner said, stepping closer. “Are we seriously contemplating collecting all of the Infinity Stones?”

“ _If_ we collect the Stones,” Loki said after a prolonged moment of silence, “I think they should only be used as a last resort. I’m also very leery about collecting the Soul Stone. I have no intention of sacrificing anybody I love. Although… if there is another way the Stonekeeper might know.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Rogers said.

Stark clapped his hands together, “Alright, so, we know where the Stones are, for the most part. The easiest one to get our hands on next sounds like the Time Stone.”

“I don’t think it is wise to keep all of the Stones together,” younger Loki said. “Their collective power will be a draw for Thanos. He has been searching for the Stones for millennia, if we gather too many of them in one location he’ll come like a moth to flame.”

“That’s why I’ve been keeping them in my dimensional pocket,” Loki said. “No way for their power to be sensed from there.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Thor wrapped an arm around the younger’s shoulders. “Something troubles you brother.”

Younger Loki shuddered, “I can feel their power and… it’s almost as if they are whispering.” He shivered again, “They make me uneasy.”

“You still need to rest,” Banner said. “Even with you healing much faster than I’d ever anticipated it’ll still take you some time before you’re at full strength. Another couple of weeks, at least.”

“Then you stay here while we collect the Time Stone,” Thor said to his brother.

“When do you plan to go after it?” the younger asked.

Loki shrugged. “I haven’t entirely decided yet. There are a few things I would still like to work out. Say we do collect all of the Stones, we do not have a means with which to wield them and their power will kill anyone who does. That’s not really a sacrifice I want anyone to have to make.”

“That might be a case of cross that bridge when we come to it,” Rogers said.

“Agreed,” Loki said. “As for the Time Stone, we suppose can try and collect it tomorrow if you’d like. I don’t want to leave without letting Morgan know what I’m doing first. I frightened her once by not being there when she expected me to be, I won’t do that again.”

“I’ll go with you,” Stark said. “There are a few more things from my lab I want to get.”

“I’ll go too,” Romanov said.

“Tomorrow then,” Rogers said, effectively bringing the meeting to a close.

They trickled out of the barn and Loki sent the Stones away. As he left, Stark stopped him just as he stepped through the door. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

“Beg pardon?” asked Loki.

Stark’s eyes traveled to where the others were making their way to Barton’s house. “You’re the vessel,” Stark said. “You just don’t want anyone to know.”

Loki recalled the expressions which had crossed the other man’s face earlier. He wasn’t sure there was any reason to hide it from Stark. The man had already figured it out. “I am,” Loki affirmed. “ _We_ are,” he added, knowing Stark would understand what he meant.

“That’s why the Aether didn’t try to possess you, it recognized you.”

Again, Loki nodded, “I didn’t know that would happen.”

“Didn’t think you did given the scream you let out.”

Without thinking about it, Loki smacked Stark. “I did _not_ scream.”

“Like a girl.”

Loki manifested a dagger, “I will stab you.”

Stark held up his hands, laughing softly. “I won’t tell the others,” he said once his laughter subsided. “I can understand why you’d want to keep that close to the vest. If Thor found out…”

Loki groaned, sending his weapon away. “He’d lock us both in a glass cage.”

“I can introduce him to bubble wrap.”

“Norns,” Loki sighed as they made their way inside the house, “again with the bubble wrap.”

“Wait, again?”

“At Thanksgiving,” explained Loki, “Tony told our parents about bubble wrap as a joke since Thor and I were each trying to convince mother and father that the other was more likely to hurt themselves.”

“Who won?”

Loki grimaced slightly, “I think it was a tie.” Stark laughed again and the two parted ways inside the house after bidding each other good night. Once he’d changed onto his nightclothes, he carefully crawled into the makeshift bed he shared with Morgan. The air mattress dipped a tiny bit and Morgan curled against his side once he’d settled. Loki wrapped her in his arms and placed a kiss to her forehead. They were one-step closer to getting home. He just hoped their plans went smoothly but knowing their luck, everything was about to go sideways.

* * *

Loki lay awake staring at the ceiling, his mind abuzz with everything his elder self had told them. It was more than that though, as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew _exactly_ what the other had tried to tell him the other day. He was Infinity’s vessel within this reality. That thought alone scared the Hel out of him.

It would probably explain the whispering he heard from the Stones. Just thinking about it sent a shiver through him. Although when he let himself think about the whispers and didn’t let his fear consume him, the whispers hadn’t sounded sinister at all. Instead, they had sounded almost… sad?

Loki realized he would get no rest tonight and carefully climbed from the bed, lest he wake his mother hen of a brother. He silently made his way downstairs. Perhaps sitting on the porch for some fresh air would help clear his mind.

As he passed the living room, his eyes fell upon the air mattress that had been set up for the elder Loki and Morgan. He felt a smile come to his lips. The elder lay on his back, the blankets kicked down along his legs but that wasn’t what had made Loki smile, it was Morgan who lay sprawled across his stomach.

Not wanting to wake them either, he quietly headed out to the porch. As he passed through the kitchen, he spotted the soft glow of the orb. Thor’s face reflected from within it. His brother, or rather, his alternate brother, sat leaning against a table with his chin resting on his crossed arms. Thor’s eyes found him as he passed and Loki picked the orb up to take outside with him.

Once he was comfortable on the porch swing he asked, “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Thor replied. “Can’t sleep?”

Loki shook his head. “No, my mind will not quiet.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Loki’s eyebrows came together in confusion. “You want to talk?”

Thor shrugged. “If it will help you, sure.”

That was… unexpected. Loki could not remember the last time Thor had been willing to hear his problems. While his brother had been trying to help him heal, he had avoided any subject that might upset Loki. To have his brother, or a version of his brother, ask him what bothers him was refreshing.

“I’ve been thinking about what Loki has told us. The idea that we will collect the Infinity Stones and… that we actually have a chance of defeating Thanos is… overwhelming.”

“But that isn’t what’s really bothering you, is it?”

This Thor was much more observant than he was used to, “No,” he admitted. Thor remained silent while Loki thought about how to word what he wanted to say. “I want to help them but… I’m not sure that I can. I’m broken Thor and I don’t know if I’ll ever be the person I once was.”

Thor sat up and leaned back in his seat. “You’ll never be the person you were before your fall, that is true,” Thor said after a moment. “There isn’t anything wrong with that. You’ve been through a severe trauma and that is going to leave a mark but that doesn’t mean you have to let it rule you. You don’t have to let it define you.” Thor scratched at his beard, “Have you and Loki spoken about how we came to be where we are in our reality?”

“Some,” Loki replied. “He told me about Hela and having to bring about Ragnarök. How you built New Asgard and how you and the Stark’s became close. He tried to tell me about…” Loki bit his lip, “it frightens me Thor.”

“I’d be worried if you weren’t afraid,” Thor said after a moment. “It won’t hurt you though and when it came to my Loki, it wouldn’t take him as a vessel without his consent. I think it would be the same way with you.”

Loki hoped so; the idea of being unable to control his own thoughts and actions once again was too frightening to contemplate. He swallowed hard, “If I… If I don’t allow _it_ in then how can I possibly be of any help to them. I’m useless like this.”

Thor once again leaned against the table. “You aren’t useless Loki. You have quite a bit that you can offer; you just have to allow yourself to see it. You can’t base your ‘value’,” here Thor used air quotes, “upon what you believe other people think of you. You’ll never live up to what you _think_ others expect you to be. You’ll drive yourself insane by trying.

“I understand how you feel about being useless. After Asgard’s destruction and Thanos’s victory with the Snap and subsequent destruction of the Infinity Stones… I felt useless. I thought, what good was I that I allowed Thanos his victory simply because I wanted revenge for what he had done to Loki? I wanted Thanos to suffer because at the time, I thought Loki was dead and I wanted him to pay for taking away the only family I had left.

“When Tony brought Loki back to me I was… overjoyed doesn’t even begin to describe it. He had given me back my brother, the one person I valued most in all the Realms. After we killed Thanos and realized we had no way of reversing the damage he had caused I lost my way. I felt I had no purpose and I took the blame for everyone’s woes upon my shoulders.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to realize that I’m not infallible and neither is your Thor.” Thor scrubbed a hand across his mouth then bit at a fingernail. “I’m going to tell you something about myself that I’m sure you’ll never expect for me to say. Do you know what PTSD is?”

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. What about it?”

“I have it.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. He couldn’t have heard that right. “What?”

“I have PTSD. It was… extremely bad in the beginning. There were some days when I couldn’t get out of my own way, others where I thought I’d dreamed Loki’s return. I’ve learned to manage it but if it hadn’t been for Loki I probably would have ended up as an overweight, raging alcoholic.”

A memory, not his own, came to him. He recalled sprinting into the common area, which separated their rooms in Asgard, to find Thor lying beneath one of the pillars, gripping his chest as he struggled for breath. His face was pale and his lips held a blue tint. Loki recalled rushing to Thor and removing their heavy armor with a wave as he pulled his brother to him. _“Thor, what happened?”_

_Thor swallowed, one hand gripping fervently at Loki’s tunic while the other continued clawing at his chest. “I-I-I h-heard... and... I... I-I c-can’t... can’t breathe.”_

“Loki?”

Loki blinked, retuning his focus to the orb. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Thor replied. “You seemed to drift off there for a minute.”

“I’ve been experiencing your Loki’s memories, I think. You had a panic attack the day of your coronation, didn’t you?”

Thor nodded, “Yes, luckily I haven’t had one that bad since.”

Loki recalled the fear his other self had experienced at seeing his brother in such a state. It hadn’t been the first time though, Loki could suddenly recall other times in which Thor’s PTSD had surfaced. Loki wasn’t quite sure what to feel about it.

“I think Loki suffers from it too,” Thor said, breaking into Loki’s thoughts. “He hasn’t been officially diagnosed like I have but he recognized my symptoms from his own experiences. Loki had to suffer through it alone as by the time mine developed he had learned to manage it. If you develop it you won’t have to be alone like he was. You’ll have people to support you.”

“I suppose so,” Loki felt his eyes well and could not understand the reasoning for it. He wiped at his eyes, “All I feel anymore is fear and I hate it. I want to be _me_ again but I don’t know who that is anymore. The worst part of it all is, I’m afraid that none of this is real. I’m afraid I’m trapped in the Mind Stone and that all of this is nothing more than a hallucination and I… And as much as I _hope_ this is reality I don’t know what I’ll do if the veil is pulled back to reveal it never was.”

Thor sighed, “I wish I knew what to say to help you brother. I wish there were some magic words to take all of your fears away and make it so you did not have to suffer so. You are not alone but the first step, the _hardest_ step, will be learning to forgive yourself.”

“What if I never can,” Loki asked softly.

“It won’t happen right away and even though your path is no longer the same as the one my Loki traveled, I still believe you’ll get there.”

Loki nodded, taking a moment to quell his sudden urge to cry. Thor remained silent but Loki still felt comforted by his presence in the orb. “You called me ‘brother’,” he said, slightly confused.

“Yes.”

“Why? I’m not your Loki.”

Thor shrugged, “That doesn’t matter. You’re Loki so therefore you are my brother. Us being from different realities doesn’t change that.” Thor paused and an expression of compassion crossed his face. “When Loki was recovering from his illness he had… I guess you could call it an identity crisis since he was forced to remain in his Jötunn form while his seiðr gained strength. I know that is something you haven’t had the time to process yet and I know that makes you think you’re a monster but Loki, that is so far from the truth.

“You are not a monster Loki and you being born Jötunn doesn’t change that.” Thor waved a hand, “Anyway, I got myself off topic. I know you think you are supposed to be all of these different things and you have raised the bar of expectations of yourself so high as to be neigh unobtainable.

“Whenever you think you need to reach that stupid bar I want you to remind yourself that you are Loki, you only need to _be_ Loki and that being Loki is enough, you don’t have to be anything else.”

Loki tightened his grip on the orb so it wouldn’t fall from his suddenly numb fingers. Tears he had begun to think had finally run out once more ran down his cheeks. He could not remember a time when anyone had told him he only needed to be himself, whoever that might be. It eased an ache in his heart he’d thought would never heal.

“Thank you,” he said once he was confident his voice would not fail him. “You truly have become more wise.”

Thor shrugged, “I learned from the best. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if Loki isn’t actually the older brother.”

Fatigue suddenly washed over Loki as the fear he had felt for days began to ebb. He breathed beep and cast his gaze out across the quiet farmland. Looking back at the orb, he said, “I think I might be able to sleep now.”

“That’s good.” Thor yawned and Loki ended up mimicking the gesture. “Sleep well brother.”

“You too.”

Thor disappeared from within the orb and Loki returned inside, replacing the orb on the counter. As he passed the living room, he saw that the elder had adjusted their sleeping positions and Morgan was now curled up against his chest as opposed to across his stomach. He heard the shifting of fabric as the blanket lifted up.

Realizing he’d been caught but not quite ready to go upstairs and potentially face his brother, he climbed onto the air mattress.

The elder cracked an eye, “Feel better?” he asked softly.

Loki nodded, “yes.”

Nodding too, the other Loki closed his eye and snuggled down in the blankets. “Good.”

Loki felt himself smile as he snuggled under the blankets as well. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but maybe, just maybe, he could truly heal.

* * *

The following afternoon found Loki, Stark and Romanov back in New York City. While he had never traveled to the Sanctum of his own accord, knowing it’s general location helped. Being sensitive to magic helped too as he knew the Sanctum was hidden behind it. The outer façade of whatever building housed it wouldn’t look any different, it was what was _inside_ that made it special.

He really hoped they would be meeting with the Ancient One as opposed to Strange. In his own reality, they were barely civil; he’d hate to think what dealing with him here would be like. They walked along the streets and it reminded Loki of the five years after the Snap. This reality was still recovering from Thanos’s destruction. The Midgardians may have been knocked down but Loki knew they would rise again, even if it was out of shear stubbornness. It was a quality he respected about them.

“Any idea where on Bleeker Street this place is?” Romanov asked.

“Not exactly,” Loki said. “The only time I was there Strange had me falling in an endless void. Not an experience I was thrilled to repeat. I never saw the outside of the building.”

“Do you really think this Ancient One will let us have the Stone?” Stark asked.

“Honestly, no. She’s like many of the older members of their order, arrogant to a fault.”

“Well with a name like ‘The Ancient One’ she probably has the age to back it up.”

“She is old for a human, I’ll grant you that but if what I’ve heard about her age is true she hasn’t reached the level of ‘ancient’ quite yet.”

“How old is she?” Romanov inquired.

“I don’t know the exact year but she was born sometime in the early thirteen hundreds.”

“Early _thirteen hundreds_?” she and Stark echoed in surprise.

Loki stopped and turned to face them. “I was born in nine-sixty-five and Thor is fifty years older than I am.”

Both Stark and Romanov starred at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted a second head. “You’re over a thousand years old?” Stark squeaked.

Loki rolled his eyes and continued on, following the increasing magical power. “Yes and I’m still considered quite young. By human standards I’m… late twenties, early thirties.”

“Why do _I_ feel old now?” asked Stark.

Smirking, Loki shook his head. He was glad for the small distraction their inquiry had afforded him. He was not really looking forward to conversing with the Ancient One. It amazed Loki the amount of arrogance the Sorcerer’s possessed. Granted Loki was guilty of the same sentiment where his prowess with seiðr was concerned but there was something about the Sorcerers that rubbed Loki the wrong way. Strange might have been part of the reason Loki hated them so much now.

He came to a stop and let his eyes rove the outer façade of the building they stood before. The large circular window near the top contained a pattern he recognized. “This is it,” he said, beginning to make his way up the steps.

“Do we just knock?” asked Stark.

The door opened when he reached the top step. One of the apprentices stood in the doorway and gestured for them to enter. “She expects you.”

“If course she does,” Loki muttered as they followed the apprentice.

Loki knew it was magic which allowed the interior to be much larger than it should have been. Beside him, Stark whistled, “Swanky.”

“Hopefully this won’t take long.”

The room the apprentice led them to was very minimal, with a bare hardwood floor, shuddered windows and gaudy wood paneling. Loki could make out a faded design that had once been painted on the floor. If it had been warding of some kind, whomever was supposed to take care of it needed to be fired.

Sitting at the only fixture in the room, a low table, was a hooded figure. Loki knew it was the Sorcerer Supreme by the essence she gave off.

Ancient One pulled back her hood and gestured to the table, “Please sit.”

Loki had to force back the urge to be petulant and say something like, _I’d prefer to stand._ He was quite proud of himself when he’d managed to refrain and took a seat across from her. Stark and Romanov took seats on either side of him.

“The answer to your inquiry is no,” Ancient One said.

“Uh… Don’t you want to know the question first?” asked Stark.

She began to pour out tea for them all. “You want that which we guard,” she replied. “Our order has guarded the relic since time immemorial and we will not simply hand it over to the man who destroyed our world.” Putting the teapot down, her gaze bore into Loki.

Loki’s back straightened involuntary. “You may not have a choice. Thanos knows it’s here and he will be back for it. We only wish to borrow the Stone as a means of getting close to Thanos.”

“I will not allow you or anyone else have this Stone.”

“Thanos will return,” Loki said, “and he will burn this world to the ground to find it.”

“While regrettable, that is the way it must be.”

“You would allow Thanos to come back here and murder what remains of the population just to guard the Stone?” Romanov asked incredulously.

The Ancient One nodded, “I would. It is the duty of the Masters of the Mystic Arts to protect the Stone at all costs.”

“What’s the point,” Stark growled, “when there would be no one left alive to appreciate it?”

“If Thanos were allowed to collect all six of the Infinity Stones, it would not only be the earth that suffers. He has already decimated hundreds of worlds, if our world must die to prevent the end of the _universe_ then so be it.”

“What will you do then, when there are no more worlds left to protect?” asked Romanov.

“There will always be innocents to protect,” replied the Ancient One.

“No, there won’t,” Loki said, “but this has nothing to do with protecting anyone, it’s all about the power.”

“A power you are all too young to comprehend.”

Now Loki rolled his eyes. “Oh, do get over yourself Neala.” The Ancient One’s eyes flashed at the name. “Yes, I know the name you used to go by. Then again, the last time I saw you, you had hair but,” he leaned against the table, “you haven’t changed at all. You are still the same arrogant woman I met seven hundred years ago.”

Recognition flared in her eyes. “The raven-haired boy from the monastery.”

“I was much younger then, only around _four hundred_ , though I do recall you telling me that I did not have the skill to learn the magic you were learning even though I have been using seiðr since practically the moment of my birth. You told me that I did not know what _true magic_ was.”

“You tried to deceive me.”

“You want to speak of deception? How about where the source of your longevity comes from? I’m sure the other members of your order would _love_ to hear it.”

“We’ve gotten a bit off topic, don’t you think?” Romanov said.

“It does not matter,” said Ancient One, “the answer remains the same.”

Loki cast his eyes to the medallion, which hung around her neck. He tuned out the argument that ensued between Stark, Romanov and the Sorcerer Supreme. Truly the arrogance in that name alone…

Not entirely sure it would work, Loki asked, _Infinity?_

_We are here beloved._ Infinity replied. _We have been listening._

_Then you know why we have come?_

_Yes. We have shown the guardian the path she needs to take. However she refuses to see the wisdom of the action, much like Stephen Strange did in your reality. She appears to hold a grudge of some kind._

_In my defense, I was still a child._

Infinity’s twinkling laugh sounded in his mind. _We believe your actions were justified and quite entertaining. We believe it is why she remains bald._

_Are you trapped within the medallion?_

_Not at all._

The arguing voices suddenly stopped when the Eye of Agamotto began to open. Ancient One stood abruptly and began to gesture in a futile attempt to close the eye.

“This is your doing Trickster,” she accused.

“I’m not doing anything,” Loki replied calmly. “My magic is inferior to yours, remember?”

The Eye opened completely revealing the Time Stone. The green glow of the gem was rather soothing to Loki but green was his favorite color so that may have been, in part, the reason for that.

Loki held out his hand and the Stone came to rest in his open palm. Loki smirked and stood. “Pleasure doing business with you Neala.”

The Ancient One gestured again and Stark and Romanov suddenly let out cries as they swiftly disappeared within the Sorcerer’s magic circle. Panic flashed through Loki at the thought of falling endlessly. He couldn’t do that again.

_Allow us to speak._

Loki spun on the Ancient One, a power not his own flowing through him. _“Release them.”_

“You cannot leave here with the Stone.”

_“You will release our vessel’s companions, now.”_

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your vessel?”

Loki felt himself nod. _“You and your order have done well in protecting our Essence of Time Neala, but we must be allowed to come together as a whole so that the fate that has befallen many other realities does not happen here. We are tired of being a pawn of Thanos.”_

Her squared shoulders deflated just a little. “You are not giving me a choice, are you?”

Loki smirked as the power within him faded. “No, it isn’t.” He gestured to the room around them. “If you would be so kind as to return my companions.”

Although she was clearly unhappy about it, she did as he asked. Stark and Romanov reappeared in the room, though unlike him they didn’t fall from the ceiling as they did so. Loki gave the Sorcerer Supreme one last smile before departing the Sanctum.

“She gave you the Stone?” Stark asked once they were back on the sidewalk.

Loki nodded. “She isn’t happy about it.”

“She doesn’t seem like someone you want to piss off. Definitely not a fan of the disappearing floor act.”

“Neither am I. You are unharmed?”

“Yeah, we’re fine.”

“She was angry at you,” Romanov pointed out. “Her anger wasn’t due to Loki’s recent actions.”

Loki sighed. “She’s holding a grudge from when we met. I was just under four hundred when I came to Midgard to study their magic. My ability with seiðr comes naturally to me and I was able to master many of the more advanced concepts much sooner than other students of the craft. I’ve been able to shapeshift and cast illusions for as long as I can remember.

“I had heard of the Masters of the Mystic Arts and I wanted to study what made their magic different from my own. There was word of a school within a monastery so my mother and I came to Midgard so that I could learn. The only restriction I had was that I was not allowed to tell the Midgardians who I was. Midgard’s climate was changing when it came to magic and my parents feared for my safety.

“I found the monastery and the one who taught there. While Naela was an adult, she was still an apprentice among their order. I think their master knew I was of Asgard and he allowed me to study with them. Naela was not happy to have someone so ‘young’ take to their art so easily.”

“How old were you? Equivalently?” Stark asked.

Loki did some quick mental math, “Our rate of aging slows once we reach maturity but at four hundred I would have been somewhere between… ten or twelve if I were mortal.”

“And she was…?

“Forties… maybe? As I said earlier, I don’t know her exact age.”

“While I can see someone getting frustrated at a kid upstaging them that didn’t seem to me to be the reason she was angry,” said Romanov.

Loki shrugged and scratched the back of his neck, “She’s probably still angry about the hair.”

“The hair?”

“Long story short? She tried to get me kicked out of the monastery and in retaliation I made it so that her hair refused return to it’s natural auburn color.”

“I’ll bite,” Stark said, “what color did you make it?”

“The Rainbow Bridge and the colors were constantly shifting. In the end, it marked her as a witch so to avoid being brought to trial; she shaved her head and moved to another school for their order. Mother and I returned to Asgard after that.”

“I can see why she’s be angry,” remarked Romanov.

Loki shrugged now, “Not my fault she’s never figured out how to break a simple spell. It should have been rather easy since I was an angry child when I cast it.” He gestured down the street, “We should allow Stark to gather the items he needs and return to the farm. While I do kind of… sort of trust that Morgan will not find trouble, given what has already happened with HYDRA I’d rather not take any chances.”

They left to gather the remaining items Stark required and returned to the Barton farm to find that all was well. Dysfunctional, but well. They had three of the six Infinity Stones. They only needed a few more and with any luck Thanos would soon be defeated and Loki and Morgan could finally return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some creative liberty with the Ancient One’s real name. When looking her up there is no name listed so I just picked one out. I swear, Google’s going to think I’m pregnant from all of the baby name searches I do looking up character names. As for the rough year she’s said to be born, I took that from the Marvel Wiki. I’m thinking I might expand the whole story about Loki and her meeting when he was still a kid. I think it’d be interesting to explore why he thinks the way he does about the Masters of the Mystic Arts.


	13. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan and Lila play dress-up, the Bifröst is repaired and Stones are sought. The threat of Thanos looms ever closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this wasn’t _exactly_ the direction I was originally going to go but on one of the many occasions I let my mind wander this idea came to me and I decided to run with it. I think it’ll end up leading to a better confrontation than I’d originally outlined. I hope I can have Fourteen completed by next weekend. It's looking to be _long_ but I don't think I can feasibly break it up. Fingers crossed.

**_Thirteen_ **

The return to the Barton farm was somehow both uneventful and absolute chaos. Loki could hear excited screaming coming from inside the house and when they entered, what they saw stopped them all short. Thor, Rogers and Barton sat on the floor of the living room with Morgan and Lila moving between the three of them. The younger Loki, Frigga and Laura watched from the sidelines but that wasn’t what had stopped them short, it was that the three men, the three _heroes,_ were dressed as _princesses_ , gaudy makeup and all.

Upon spotting them, Morgan ran over to him, “Ki! Look, look we made T’or a princess!”

“I can see that,” Loki replied, valiantly trying not to laugh. It was not going well. “You made Barton and Rogers princesses too, I see.”

“Yeah, aren’t they pretty!”

“Beautiful,” Loki said, finally losing the battle to his laughter. “Where is Banner?”

Lila huffed. “Cooper and he ran away,” she lit up now, “but my mommy and your mommy and, and your ‘win helped make daddy all pretty.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Stark said warily, “but why aren’t they moving?”

The younger Loki wagged his fingers, the green of his seiðr dancing among them, “magic.”

“You next daddy!” Morgan said with excitement.

“Ah sorry, I’m gonna have to nope out of this,” Stark said, slowly backing out of the room. “I’ve got ah… things to tinker… machines to build…”

“Save yourself Stark!” Thor cried.

“Do be quiet brother,” younger Loki said and Thor’s mouth snapped shut.

“Did you paint their nails?” Loki asked the girls as Stark fled the house.

The two girl’s eyes went wide. Lila turned to her mother, “Mommy do you gotz po’ish?”

“I think I can find some,” Laura replied.

The complexions of the three men paled beneath their makeup. “Nat,” Barton pled, “help.”

Romanov went over and asked Lila, “What color do you want to do daddy’s nails?”

“Traitor!” Barton cried.

Laura came back with several bottles of nail polish, each of varying colors.

“I vote for the bright pink,” said the younger Loki.

“I agree,” Frigga said. She inspected the bottles Laura held and picked out an equally bright shade of pink. “Perhaps this one for Thor.” Thor’s eyes bulged at his mother’s words.

“Ki, will you do mine?” Morgan asked.

Loki called forth the bottle of dark green nail polish he kept in his dimensional pocket for Morgan. “Of course sweetie.”

“Me too,” Lila said, hopping in place. “Please,” she added.

“You keep nail polish in your dimensional pocket?” asked younger Loki.

“I have a four year old niece,” Loki replied. “I have an entire makeup kit in there. I also have jewelry, dresses, a second set of—”

“My hornays!” Morgan gasped. “Ki, can I get it all?”

Loki gestured with his finger, “Spin.”

Grinning, Morgan spun in place and Loki let his seiðr dance around her, changing her clothing to a set of leathers that matched his own, along with the matching helm. Grinning, Morgan turned to his younger and pointed to her helm, “See Ki, I gotz hornays like you.”

“Very nice,” younger Loki remarked.

“Me next!” Lila cried, “me next!”

“Who would you like to be?” Loki asked.

Lila bit her lip in thought, “Um… Tink?”

“I can do Tink,” Loki gestured for Lila to spin, which the little girl did. Loki used his seiðr to turn her into the famous pixie.

“I’m a fairy!” Lila exclaimed in happiness.

“We gotz to save the princess!” Morgan cried. She grabbed Lila’s hand and they sprinted from the room, “We gotz to fight the bad guy!”

“We’s coming Cooper!” Lila yelled.

Chuckling softly as he watched the girls leave, Loki turned back to see that Thor, Rogers and Barton were no longer dressed as princesses and were able to move once more.

“I take back _everything_ nice I started to think about you,” Barton said, pointing to the two Loki’s.

“Don’t be like that Clint,” Laura chided, “the girls had fun.”

“That was adorable,” Frigga added. “She has a matching set of leathers and helm?”

“I made her a set for Halloween a couple of years ago and she goes through periods where that’s all she wants to wear.” Loki said as he returned the nail polish, “Actually, she went as me last Halloween.”

“Did you get the Stone?” Rogers asked as he stood.

Loki held out a hand and brought forth the Time Stone. “This makes three.”

“I suppose our next step is to repair the Bifröst,” Thor said.

“Yes,” Loki agreed, “however the question remains, do we really plan on collecting all six Stones?”

The group exchanged looks, “If it gives us the possibility of bringing back all of the people he killed I think it would be worth it.”

“The Soul Stone remains a problem,” the younger Loki said. “Is anyone here truly willing to kill someone they love for the Stone?”

“I’m not,” Loki said immediately.

“But,” Barton began, “you did say it was possible the Stonekeeper might know of another way. At the very least, would it hurt to ask?”

“I suppose not,” Loki said as he sent the Stone away. “I think Tony and Stark have just about finished their device. Question is; will it work? We’ll also have to return to Asgard in order to find out.”

Loki’s younger paled at the mention of the Realm Eternal.

Concern colored Frigga’s expression, “Dearheart?”

“I don’t know if I can return to Asgard,” the younger admitted. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“I know,” Frigga replied, rubbing a hand along his back, “but you will have to face it someday.”

“Did Stark say how much longer it was going to take?” Rogers asked.

“No,” replied Loki, “but I doubt it will be more than a few days. I think all that’s left is finding a way to interface with the bridge.”

Still pale and with his lips pressed tightly together, the younger Loki left the room. Loki heard the door close behind the other man as he went outside. At Frigga’s look of concern Loki said, “I’ll talk to him.”

“He’s uneasy,” she said.

Loki agreed. “I don’t blame him and I know what it’s like to be condemned for things that were beyond ones control, which his actions here truly were. On the bright side, he wouldn’t be returning muzzled and chained and with his mind still not his own. He has people who are listening this time.”

Loki left the others and stepped outside. Morgan and Lila were still running around fighting imaginary “bad guys” so that they could “save” Cooper. He found his younger sitting on the porch swing watching the children play.

“Are you here to bring ‘words of encouragement’?” the younger asked.

Loki sat beside him. “In a manner of speaking. I know nothing I say will completely ease your fears but I doubt you have to worry about being tossed in the dungeons.”

Younger Loki scoffed, “It would be well within Odin’s right. I have caused great evil here.”

“You have,” Loki agreed, “but you have to remember this wasn’t anything that you wanted. If it hadn’t been you who came through the portal, Thanos would have just sent someone else and they never would have even bothered to _try_ losing. Whoever Thanos sent would have caused far more damage than you did, before Thanos’s arrival, as a way to impress the Titan.”

“Knowing that doesn’t exactly make me feel any better.”

“You haven’t been free of their influence for very long. You need to give yourself time. It will be hard, no doubt about it, but you have allies here. You have mother. You have Thor, who is probably more likely to smother you with affection than anything else. He’ll be one of your greatest defenders. He’ll learn and grow, just like you will.”

“I’ll have to somehow survive Odin’s wrath.”

Loki leaned back against the bench, crossing one leg over the other. “He’s… not what you and I thought he was. It took me a long time to see it but he does care. Father made some _huge_ mistakes, there is no disputing that and I’ve made a point of reminding him of it quite a bit lately. I might have become rather annoying with it. It was one of the ways I managed to strong-arm him into dressing up as ‘Pirate Santa’.”

“Is that why he was wearing all of that red?” the younger asked.

“Yes and he’d even brought Sleipnir too. I swear that horse is an attention whore. He followed Morgan around _everywhere_ just waiting for her to drop treats for him.”

The younger Loki chuckled softly. “That must have riled Odin.”

“On the contrary, he enjoyed it. He’s definitely a different man from the one I sent to Midgard under the influence of a spell. Actually, he seems to have become a Midgardian cliché.”

“How so?”

“The one where apparently parents change once the grandchildren or great-grandchildren are born. Morgan has, in many ways, become their grandchild. They dote on her just as much as Thor and I do.”

“And yet, somehow, you’re her favorite.”

“I’m not going to complain about that. Morgan suffered from colic when she was a baby and I was able to use my seiðr to help alleviate her symptoms. I’m sure that’s how our bond started. I wouldn’t trade my bond with Morgan for anything in all the Realms.”

Speaking of the little girl, she came barreling around the corner, Lila close behind, and tripped over the loose gravel that lined the driveway. She tumbled then skidded along her front and Loki was off the porch before she slid to a stop.

“Morgan!” Lila cried.

Morgan burst into tears, her hands and face covered in dirt and blood from the gravel. “Ki…” she sobbed.

Loki pulled her up and quickly examined the scrapes on her hands and chin. Picking her up, he returned to the house just as others came rushing out.

“What happened?” Laura asked.

“Morgan fall down,” Lila said sadly.

“Wipeout, huh?” Barton asked. “I’ll grab the first-aid kit.”

“That won’t be necessary,” replied Loki. He brought Morgan inside and set her on the counter. He gently wiped the tears from her face while also weaving his seiðr around her wounds to help with the pain as he examined her injuries.

“A-are you gonna k-kiss an’ make it better?” Morgan asked through her tears.

“I am,” he cupped one of her hands in his and blew into the small gap between them. When he pulled his hands apart, the cuts had been healed. He did the same with her other hand. For the wounds on her face, he gently kissed them, letting his magic heal those wounds as well.

She giggled as he began to plant more kisses on her face. “Ki,” she laughed.

“All better.”

Morgan held up her hands. “My boo-boos are gone.” She frowned, “I’m all dirty.”

“You’re four,” Loki said, rubbing his nose against hers, “I’d be more amazed if you _weren’t_ dirty.”

“I gotz your hornies,” Lila said, holding up Morgan’s helm. One of the horns was bent to the point of nearly snapping off.

“I broke my hornays,” Morgan said sadly. Tears once again sprung to her eyes. “I’m sorry Ki.”

Having followed them inside as well, Loki’s younger took the broken helm from Lila. “This isn’t anything that cannot be fixed.” To prove his point, he ran his fingers along the bent horn. The scratches in the helm disappeared at the same time that the horn corrected itself. Bowing to Morgan, he held the repaired helm out to her with a flourish. “Your helm, my queen.”

Morgan took the helm with a smile. “My two Ki’s are the _bestest!_ ” she squealed. “Thanks Ki.”

Loki helped her from the counter. “You can go back to your play but I want you to be more careful. No more wipeouts.”

“Okay,” Morgan said. She tugged on his shirt until he bent down then gave him a kiss. She did the same for the other Loki then together she and Lila ran from the house again, both of them yelling, “Save Cooper!”

“Are you absolutely, one-hundred percent sure you’re not her dad?” Barton asked.

“Yes,” Loki replied, chuckling. “Father, no. Favorite uncle, absolutely.”

Barton’s expression displayed disbelief. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“I have no genetic ties to Morgan.”

“That’s not what I asked. I asked if you were her dad, not her father.”

Loki shared a confused look with his younger. “What’s the difference?”

“A father is someone who passed on their genetic information to the child, a dad is the one who raises them and loves them unconditionally. Much of the time they’re one in the same but more and more, they’re not.”

“By that definition,” Thor said, his voice contemplating, “that would make Laufey Loki’s father and Odin his dad?”

“Wait, Loki’s adopted?”

“I am,” replied Loki.

“Huh, never would have guessed that. You’re too much like your mom.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

“You’d better,” Frigga laughed.

More excited yelling was heard from outside. “Those two will sleep good tonight,” Laura remarked with a sigh.

“Norns, I hope so,” Loki said. “Hopefully she won’t move around quite so much tonight.”

“How do you mean?” Thor asked.

“Nine times out of ten, she ends up lying on me and if she’s not sleeping on top of me she’s somehow buried herself under my back.”

Chuckling, Barton clapped him on the back as he passed, “Welcome to parenthood.”

Loki blinked as the man walked away from him. “I’m not her dad!”

* * *

The device wasn’t exactly pretty but it was finally functional which was the important part. It was smaller than Loki was expecting as well. Then again, size didn’t exactly matter when it came to power. The device was about the size of the Casket of Ancient Winters and nowhere near as fancy looking.

Upon examination of the device and the cables protruding from the sides of it, Loki asked, “Are those jumper cables?”

“No,” Stark replied. “Similar in concept, but no. Jumper cables wouldn’t be able to handle the power the device will exert.”

“Were they your idea?”

“Uh, no, actually they were the other Tony’s idea.”

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe Tony took my jumper cables remark to heart. I wasn’t being serious.”

“Ironically it really isn’t a bad idea. We’ll put a clip on each side of the break and it’ll create a closed circuit. The bridge will act like a resistor and the energy it passes will be converted within the bridge, causing it to grow.”

“So long as it works,” Loki sighed. “Just let me know when you want to leave.”

“Sure thing,” Stark said, not taking his eyes from his glowing device.

Loki left the barn and returned to the house. He found Morgan playing with dolls in Lila’s room. He knocked on the doorframe, getting the attention of both girls. “Sorry to interrupt your play,” Loki said, “but I need to talk to Morgan for a moment.”

Morgan put down the doll she was playing with and left the room with him. “What’s wrong Ki?”

“Nothing sweetie,” replied Loki. He knelt so that he could be closer to her eye level. “I am going to take Stark and probably Thor and a few others to Asgard. They’re going to see if the machine they’ve been building will work.”

Morgan frowned. “How long are you gonna be gone?”

“Not long, a day or two at most.”

“That’s what you said last time and the mean man came and hit mommy and took me away.”

Loki shifted so that he was sitting and pulled Morgan into his lap. “That isn’t going to happen this time, I promise. Mr. and Mrs. Barton won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, my mommy and your other Loki are going to stay here too.”

“They are?”

Loki nodded. “Loki isn’t ready to go back to Asgard.”

“How come?”

“He just isn’t right now sweetie. There are a lot of things he needs to work out for himself first.”

Morgan did not seem satisfied with his answer. “Like what?”

“You remember how I turned blue when I was sick?” Morgan nodded. “Well, when we were growing up we were told that the Jötunn, the blue giants, were evil monsters.”

Morgan scowled, “But you and Ki aren’t evil monsters.”

“I know that sweetie but Loki needs time to learn that for himself. It’s one of the reasons he’s not ready to return to Asgard.”

“Is that why you don’t like your blue?”

“Partly,” Loki admitted. “It also makes me very cold.”

Morgan hummed. “Ki,” she asked, “youz a giant?”

“Technically. Another name for the Jötunn is Frost Giant.”

Morgan’s expression became one of confusion. “But… aren’t giants really,” she stood and lifted a hand above her head, raising herself up on to her toes, “really tall? Youz not really, _really_ tall. T’or’s bigger than you.”

Loki felt his eyebrow twitch and glanced up to see his younger standing in the hallway listening to them. “I’m a tiny giant.”

“How can you be tiny and a giant?”

“Shapeshifter,” the younger Loki said.

Loki stood too and turned Morgan back towards the room. “Go play. I’ll let you know when I’m leaving.”

Morgan returned to the room muttering, “But tiny and a giant…”

Loki looked over at his younger. “How much did you hear?”

Younger Loki shrugged. “Not much, just what you told her about the Frost Giants. I’d forgotten about the cold.”

Loki shivered just thinking about it. “Try getting stuck in that form for over a week.”

The younger grimaced. “How did you stand that?”

“Petulantly,” Loki replied as they headed back downstairs, “and covered in as many blankets as I could get my hands on.” He paused, becoming a bit more serious, “I know you aren’t ready to return to Asgard but mother is right, you will have to face it sometime.”

“I know,” the younger replied. “It’s just hard to reconcile what I am with everything we were taught growing up and given what I did…”

Loki brushed his shoulder against his younger as they returned downstairs. “I still have a hard time with it sometimes,” Loki admitted, “but Laufey’s actions and what the Jötnar did during the war doesn’t portray their race as a whole. Think about it, Odin is half Jötunn, which means Thor has Jötnar blood in him as well.

“Learning that we share the same grandparents, I wanted to know more about Bestla and everything I’ve found on her has been positive. She was always described as a kind and gentle woman. The descriptions of her I’ve found remind me of mother, actually. She was quite beloved by the Ǽsir.”

“Then what happened?” asked younger Loki. “What was it that turned us into monsters?”

“ _We_ are not monsters. _You_ and _I_ are not monsters just because we were born to Jötnar parents.”

“It’s still hard to reconcile.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t but I want you to take the time to realize that just about everything we were taught growing up was wrong. Hel, most of Asgard’s history is a lie and while I’m not saying that the Jötunn are innocent of any kind of evil deeds, we were not raised in that culture. Our genes may be predominately Jötunn but we have an Ǽsir heart.” He gripped the other’s shoulder reassuringly. “I’m going to see if Stark is about ready to test his device. Your mission while I’m gone, is to make sure Morgan doesn’t get herself into trouble.”

* * *

Loki sat in the center of the Bifröst Bridge, his body strung tight with tension, as he watched Stark set up his machine. He’d forgotten that the bridge didn’t have railings installed on it yet and he’d nearly sent himself into a panic when he’d first approached it. While he’d overcome many fears since his fall, _falling_ was not one of them.

Heimdall stood beside him watching the progress as well. The Observatory had been completed only a short time ago and Loki suspected the Watchkeeper would appreciate having his domain back.

“You should install guardrails,” Loki said, breaking the silence. Loki somehow managed to tense further when Stark went to the edge of the bridge to hook up the cables. He had to fight to keep from grabbing Stark and hauling him off the bridge, repairs be dammed.

Heimdall’s stance shifted and Loki felt the man’s golden eyes on him. “You are uneasy,” Heimdall remarked.

Loki never took his eyes away from Stark. “I don’t like how close to the edge he is. If he were to fall…”

“There are skiffs positioned under the break in the event of such a thing.”

“Really?” Loki hadn’t noticed that. The tension in him eased a little.

“Yes,” Heimdall replied. “Your father has also ordered the engineers to begin building a railing along the bridge to prevent anyone from falling again. They have been working on the underside for quite some time now.”

Loki finally looked away from Stark and tipped his head up to stare at Heimdall in confusion. “You’re joking.”

“I would not jest about such a thing.”

“Right,” Loki returned to watching Stark. In their reality, _he’d_ been the one to order construction of a safety rail along the bridge. The thought of falling from there again terrified him to no end.

“Your little one takes after you quite a bit,” Heimdall said, breaking into his thoughts.

Brow furrowed, Loki asked, “Little one?”

“Your child.”

Loki sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “Morgan is not my daughter. Why does everyone here suddenly think she is?”

“She displays many of the same traits you do.”

“Chalk that up to me being a poor influence,” Loki replied drily. “Tony is a wonderful father and Morgan loves him. I would never try to take his place in her life.”

“That was not my meaning,” Heimdall replied, causing Loki to look up at him once more. “I agree, you are not her father and she is not your daughter but that does not make her any less your own. I believe the bond she has created with you and, in turn, with our Loki is helping him to heal. She has helped you to heal as well, I think.”

“I will agree with you there. I never had to pretend to be someone I’m not with Morgan. Actually, over the last few years I’ve only had to be myself and… it’s so freeing not having to live up to this image others believe I need to be.” He gave a half shrug, “I wouldn’t now even if it was expected.”

“I must ask, was it you who suggested the name?”

“What name?”

“‘Mr. Heimey’?”

“Actually,” Loki chuckled, “that wasn’t how she first pronounced it. We had to convince her it was an ‘m’ in your name and not an ‘n’.” At Heimdall’s raised eyebrow, Loki said, “Mr. Heinie.”

“Alright!” Stark called, interrupting their conversation. “We’re all set. Now we get to see if this will work or blow up in our faces.”

Loki stood, “I am just _overflowing_ with confidence.”

“I feel it. Here, catch.”

Loki just barely managed to keep from dropping the orb Stark tossed to him. In it, he could see Tony, Pepper, Thor, Banner, Foster and Selvig. Tony’s face took up much of the image, as he seemed to lean towards the orb. “How’s it going?” Tony asked.

“Fine,” Loki replied. “I may throttle your alternate. Any problems with that?”

“Whys that?” Pepper asked.

“He’s being Tony.”

“You should be used to that by now,” Tony replied. “I mean, you have two of us now.” He did this little shake with his shoulders, “Double the fun.”

“Double the headache,” Loki replied.

“I heard that!” Stark called.

“I wasn’t trying to be quiet about it.”

“Please refrain from killing him until after we find a way to bring you and Morgan back home,” Thor said.

“I’m not going to kill him,” Loki replied. “Though I might turn him into something. Don’t quite know what yet. I turned your alternate into a rabbit.” He let his eyes fall onto Pepper. “Any suggestions?”

“Owl?” Pepper suggested.

“Hey, if you’re going to turn me into anything at least make sure I have opposable thumbs,” Stark called. He made an adjustment to his machine which caused a low hum to emanate from it. Loki shivered from the sudden output of power he felt from it.

“Oh, flying squirrel!” Thor suggested.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Tony asked.

Simultaneously Loki and everyone on Tony’s side of the orb said, “No.”

“I think it’s working,” Stark said.

Loki watched as the jagged edges of the bridge began to glow from the power running through it. He felt another shiver run through him and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Loki couldn’t help but be impressed as the broken edge of the bridge began to repair itself. The crystalline structure expanded at a much greater rate than Loki had expected, especially from not actually using the Tesseract.

Stark was puffed up with pride. He clapped his hands together and said, “Couple of hours and we can take this baby for a test drive.”

Loki’s eyes widened briefly in surprise. “Only a couple of hours?”

“How long did you think it was going to take?”

“I don’t know, longer than that.”

“It’s because _I’m_ a genius,” Tony said.

Simultaneous exclamations of, “Excuse me,” rang out from within the orb.

“It was my calculations that helped you build that,” Foster said.

“And my understanding of the Tesseract,” Selvig added.

“But which of us was it that figured out where you two screwed up?” Tony asked. He snapped his fingers, “That’s right, it was me.”

Foster sputtered, “If it hadn’t been for me—”

“If it hadn’t been for you, _none_ of this would have happened!”

“Both of you, _shut up_ ,” Pepper yelled. “You,” she pointed to Tony, “we’ll talk about your ego later. As for you two,” Pepper turned her glare on Selvig and Foster, “the _only_ reason I haven’t beaten the both of you bloody is because I need you to get my daughter and brother back. As soon as they are home safe and sound you are both dead.”

“I don’t know whether to be afraid or aroused,” Stark commented.

_Both,_ Tony mouthed, _definitely both._

“Are you all quite done?” Loki asked. Pepper turned her icy glare on him and Loki held up a hand. “I’m on your side Pepper. I’ll even hold them down for you if you’d like.” That caused her to smile slightly.

The next few hours seemed to drag. Stark continued to monitor the bridge’s progress and adjusted his device as needed. He’d taken back the orb so he could continue to confer with the scientists.

Thor had gone back and forth between the Bifröst and the palace, doing Loki didn’t know what. He’d returned at one point with a look of anger upon his face. When Loki had inquired, Thor had only shaken his head. Loki had a feeling that Thor’s attitude had something to do with the Idiots Four.

Once the bridge was at the requisite length, the engineers installed the Observatory to its proper place. Stark packed up his machine and together they entered the Observatory, Heimdall crossing the threshold first to place Höfund within the control device.

“How do we want to test this?” Stark asked.

“Svartalfheim,” Loki said. “It’s barren and we won’t risk damaging anything important if the bridge malfunctions.”

“Rock, paper, scissors for whoever goes through?” Stark asked.

Loki shook his head, “No. I’ll go.”

Thor started to protest, “But brother—”

“It makes sense,” Loki interrupted. “If the Bifröst does malfunction and is unable to bring me back, I’ll at least be able to teleport myself here though one of the paths that connect Asgard and Svartalfheim.”

“He does have a point,” Stark said. “Neither of us have that ability.”

“But what if the Dark Elves are there,” Thor said. “You told us that in your reality, the removal of the Aether woke them.”

Loki felt frustration building. “Then find somewhere else to send it, I don’t care, but we do need to test it to make sure it works. If this test proves successful, we’ll need to decide if we’re going after the remaining Stones.” He made a shooing gesture, “We’ll also need to figure out who is going after what one so make yourself useful.”

Thor did not look pleased but Loki didn’t care. Heimdall made some adjustments to the Bifröst controls and Loki moved over to the portal. Taking a breath, he stepped through and was whisked away along a beam of light.

* * *

With the successful test of the Bifröst complete, Loki and the Avengers contacted Fury and met at a neutral location to discuss their next course of action. They learned that the Director had been quite busy while they had been gone, weeding out any HYDRA operatives within SHIELD. What was left of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division was quite thin, to say the least.

At the end of their meeting, it was determined that they would split into two teams, one to go after the Power Stone and another to inquire about the Soul Stone. Romanov, Barton and Banner would remain behind to manage things on Earth and also to protect Barton’s family, Morgan, Frigga and the younger Loki. Loki’s younger was finally healed enough, physically at least, that if he needed to fight he would be capable.

Once more in the Observatory Loki, Thor, Stark and Rogers prepared to depart.

Heimdall’s golden eyes seemed to glow as they gazed upon something none of the others could see. “The Power Stone is no longer on Morag,” the Gatekeeper intoned. “I am unable to focus upon the precise location of the Soul Stone.”

“I guess our part is scrubbed,” Stark said, motioning to himself and Thor.

“There’s always Niðavellir,” Loki said. Events seemed to be progressing far quicker in this reality than they had in his own. He wondered if his being here had any influence on that. He mentally shook himself; it was too late to worry about that now. “Thanos will still need the Gauntlet if he is to have a chance of wielding the Stones. He will seek out King Eitri to forge one for him. It wouldn’t hurt to warn the dwarfs before that happens.”

“Stark and I can do that while you and Rogers seek the Soul Stone,” Thor said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Rogers said.

“Wait,” Loki said as a thought suddenly came to him. “Can you see Thanos?”

Heimdall shook his head, “He remains guarded from my view.”

Loki couldn’t say he was entirely surprised. “Keep a weathered eye out just to be safe.”

Heimdall inclined his head to him then adjusted the controls. Stark and Thor entered the Bifröst first. Loki hoped King Eitri would listen and not let his pride overcome him. It would be better for the dwarfs to go into hiding for a time than to let Thanos obtain the Gauntlet.

When it was Rogers and his turn, they rode along swiftly and emerged at the base of a large mountain. Dark, purple clouds moved lazily across the sky and the planets sun seemed permanently eclipsed by its moon. This place felt more ominous than Svartalfheim had.

“Where to now?” asked Rogers.

Loki gestured to the mountain, “Up.”

Together they climbed up the mountain. Oddly, the path was well traversed which seemed strange. One would expect the path leading to an Infinity Stone to be more guarded than it was.

Once they reached the summit, they emerged from between two large pillars to the ledge of a cliff. From beside one of the pillars, a cloaked figure seemed to float towards them. The tattered ends of its cloak billowed around it.

“The item you seek is no longer here,” the figure said. By the voice, the Stonekeeper was male and appeared vaguely human but Loki wasn’t quite sure of his exact species.

Rogers stiffened beside him, his hand tightening on the strap of his shield. “Johann Schmidt,” growled Rogers.

“Captain Steven Rogers; son of Joseph, son of Sarah,” the Stonekeeper intoned.

“You know him?” Loki asked Rogers in disbelief.

Rogers nodded, “He was HYDRA’s leader during World War II. He had planned to use the Tesseract’s power to take over the world.”

“Those desires no longer fuel me,” said the Stonekeeper.

Loki gripped Rogers’s arm and pulled him back, lest he do something stupid. He recalled what Schmidt had said upon their arrival. “The Soul Stone is gone?”

Schmidt nodded slowly. “Yes, another has come to claim the prize.”

Loki walked to the edge of the cliff and peered over. He could see a lone figure lying at the bottom although it was not at all the person he expected. Gamora should have been questioning her loyalty to Thanos, not reinforcing it. He’d never expected the woman could ever actually kill the one she called her sister. While he felt a flash of pity for Nebula, who’s broken body lay beneath them, at least she was free from her torment. Gamora was not so fortunate.

Loki stepped back from the ledge. While he hoped Gamora would take the Stone and flee, he knew they would not be that lucky. “We need to leave.”

“What about Schmidt?” asked Rogers.

“He is tied to this place Captain,” Loki replied, “he cannot leave here. He is a threat to no one.” Loki turned his gaze skyward. “Bring us back, Heimdall.”

The light of the Bifröst engulfed them. Loki hoped Thor and Stark’s fortunes had been better than their own.

* * *

“Please tell me you had better luck than we did,” Stark asked Loki upon his return to the Observatory.

A flash of dread passed through him. “Thanos’s daughter has acquired the Soul Stone. What happened on Niðavellir?”

“We were too late. The Sons of Ivaldi have already forged the Gauntlet,” Thor said.

“They what?” Loki asked in disbelief.

“Eitri forbade it but they did so anyway. Looks like they’re still fuming over the contest.”

“That was _millennia_ ago.” Loki shook his head in disgust, “Damn it.”

“Random question,” Stark interjected, “if they’re called ‘dwarfs’ then why are they freaking two stories tall?”

“The dwarfs have always held a large stature,” Thor said.

“But they’re _dwarfs_. A dwarf is supposed to be _short._ ” Stark brought a hand up, indicating a height somewhere around his waist, “Dwarf.”

“Can we get back on topic?” asked Rogers. “Thanos now has three Stones. We have the other three. What do we do now?”

“We gather what forces we can muster and march upon Sanctuary,” Thor said.

Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s all well and good,” Loki said, “but a direct attack will be doomed to fail. I can hide a number of warriors within my dimensional pocket and present both the Mind and Time Stones to Thanos as a means of getting close.”

“Let’s head back to Earth, regroup and go from there,” suggested Stark.

“Things have changed since you have been gone,” said Heimdall, causing all of them to turn to the Gatekeeper.

“In what way?” Thor asked.

Heimdall’s gaze was focused out into the swirling void. “Thanos has made himself known.”

“Where is he?” Loki asked.

“Based upon his trajectory, he makes for Midgard.”

With a new sense of urgency, they returned to Midgard, the Bifröst landing them just outside of the Barton farmhouse. “We’ve got a problem,” Barton and Rogers said simultaneously as the two groups met on the front lawn.

“Fury called,” Barton said before Rogers could continue speaking, “deep space radar tracking picked up something heading for Earth. A _lot_ of somethings.”

“Thanos,” Loki said.

“And his fleet,” added Loki’s younger. His eyes reflected the fear he felt. “This world isn’t prepared for that.”

Loki agreed. “We need to get all of you to safety.” He turned to Stark. “Contact Pepper and Happy and tell them to pack whatever they need.” To Barton, “Get whatever you need for your family.”

“What are you planning? You can’t think to outrun Thanos?”

“Outrun him, no, but we can secure our families in Asgard. It’s the safest place for them now.”

Barton turned to his wife and together they went to pack.

Loki followed them inside. “Morgan,” he called.

“Ki, what’s going on?” Morgan asked running to Loki. She raised her arms to be picked up. “Why’s everyone scared?”

Loki pulled her to him as he raced to gather her things. He hadn’t realized just how much stuff they had accumulated in the few months they had been in this reality. He took a moment to calm himself, as he did not want to frighten her. He realized there really was no way to tell her about Thanos that wouldn’t scare her.

“I’m sending you to Asgard with my mommy and Mrs. Barton. Lila and Cooper are going too and so is Loki.” He set her back down while he grabbed her things.

“But why? Why aren’t you coming?”

“I can’t sweetie.”

“I wanna stay with you.”

“I know you do and I wish you could but...” He stopped and turned to look at her. Morgan was watching him with frightened eyes and Loki felt his chest constrict as he realized that once he sent her to Asgard he might never see her again. He blinked his suddenly wet eyes.

“Ki?”

Biting his lip and taking a moment to gather his nerves, he knelt before Morgan, cupping her face in his hands. “I love you so, _so_ , much. I want you to remember that.”

“I wuv you too,” confusion colored Morgan’s voice along with fear. “Youz scaring me Ki.”

Loki tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “I’m sorry sweetie, I don’t mean to. I do want to come with you to Asgard but I can’t. I have to stay here because… Because the Bad Man is coming and I have to help fight him.”

“I’ll help too.”

Loki smiled, “You can help by keeping an eye on Lila and Cooper. They’ve never been to Asgard, they’ll need someone to show them around.” He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. “One way or another, you will get back home, I promise you that but Morgan, I may not be able to come home with you and if I can’t… I want you to remember that I will always love you.”

Morgan’s lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. She fell towards him, practically climbing on him until he was holding her when he stood. “You can’t leave Ki.”

“I don’t want to.”

She shook her head against his shoulder and he felt his shirt becoming damp with her tears. “I wanna stay with you. Please Ki, I wanna stay with you,” she cried.

Loki felt his own tears fall free and he quickly wiped them away. He wanted to stay with her. He wanted to take Morgan and run as far as he could until he could find a way to return them to their reality but he couldn’t.

The more he let himself think about it, the more he came to realize that _he_ was the cause of Midgard’s current misfortune. Because he just couldn’t leave things alone. Instead of simply trying to find a means to get Morgan and him back home he had to go and rescue this reality’s Loki. In doing so, he had potentially doomed them all.

He hugged Morgan tight. “I’m going to do everything in my power to beat the Bad Man so that we can both go home. I promise you Morgan; I’m going to do whatever I have to so that I can come back to you. Have I ever lied to you?”

Morgan shook her head, turning her head slightly and wiping her face. “No.”

“I have no intention of starting now. You have my word; my solemn oath, that I _will_ come back to you.” He would fight Death itself to keep his promise. He cast his eyes about the room once more. He had collected everything of Morgan’s he needed. Pressing a kiss to her head, he went back to meet the others.

Barton’s children appeared to be having just as much trouble leaving their father as Morgan was having to leave Loki. Both were crying as they said their goodbyes to Barton.

Trying to hand Morgan over to his younger proved harder than he’d hoped. Especially when the younger announced, “I’m staying here.”

“What?” Frigga asked in shock.

“I’m staying here,” the younger affirmed. “This is my fight too and I refuse to run from it.”

Morgan clung tighter to Loki. Hearing that both Loki and his younger were staying only made it harder for him to convince her to let him go. In the end, he finally managed to get her to go to Frigga. She tucked her head against Frigga’s shoulder.

“I love you,” he whispered to Morgan as he placed one last kiss to her head.

Stepping back, he stood with the Avengers as they waited for Heimdall to collect the others. At the boom of the Bifröst Morgan sat up, twisted in Frigga’s arms and reached for him. “Ki! No, I wanna stay! Ki!” Morgan struggled in Frigga’s hold and her last cry echoed as the light engulfed them, carrying them to the safety of Asgard. “ _Ki!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um.... sorry... 😅


	14. Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanos and his army arrive...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's not Saturday but I finally finished this chapter and _I_ was way too excited for you all to read this to wait. *begs* Please, please, _please_ let me know if this was any good or if I should just throw in the towel.
> 
> Have I mentioned that I hate writing battle scenes? Well, I _hate_ writing battle scenes. Although I hope this doesn't disappoint. I was able to be a bit more free with what I wanted to happen as opposed to when I was writing Endgame and had a pre-established battle to try and stay close to. 
> 
> This chapter, while definitely the _longest_ of the story has also been probably the most difficult. I feel like it might actually be too long (12K words yeash) but I couldn't see any way to actually break it up without taking away from the feel. Does that make sense?

**_Fourteen_ **

“Based on current speed and trajectory,” Fury said to the packed conference room within the SHIELD facility, “Thanos’s fleet will be here in less than three days.”

The fact that the Titan was sending his fleet through space instead of through the portal only confirmed that he could no longer activate the device in New York. If that had still been a viable option, there was no doubt in Loki’s mind Thanos would have used it.

“World leaders are scrambling their militaries,” Agent Hill said. “The National Guard and local law enforcement are trying to evacuate as many people as they can to safe zones.”

“There is no safe zone where Thanos is concerned,” Thor said.

“I agree,” Fury said, “but if we’re going to try and save as many lives as possible it’ll be better if we don’t give him easy targets.”

“He wants the Stones,” Loki reminded them. “If we can evacuate a large enough location I can lure Thanos there with the promise of giving them to him. If we can contain his army to one central location we might have a better chance of fighting him off.”

“It could potentially minimize collateral damage,” Hill agreed.

“Any word from Barton and Romanov?” Fury asked.

The two assassins had gone to New York to seek out the Sorcerers, hoping they would fight the inevitable battle. They had joined the fight in his reality though Loki wasn’t quite sure they would here. He hoped the Sorcerer Supreme would not take her anger at him out on the people of this world.

“Not yet,” Hill replied. “I’m hoping to hear from them shortly.”

“What about Wakanda?” Loki asked.

“What about them?”

“Surely they would be willing to aid us, unless… Thanos didn’t completely destroy them when he was here last, did he?” It hadn’t occurred to Loki before now to inquire about the African kingdom.

“With what,” someone else in the room asked, “spears?”

Loki gestured to the shield Rogers carried. “Their entire society is built on vibranium. Their technology is far more advanced than you know. Farther advanced than much of your developed world.”

“Then why didn’t they help us last time?”

“Wakanda is an isolationist country,” Stark said. “ _If_ , as Loki says, their society is built on vibranium they would need a lot of it. I suspect that if Thanos knew what they had, he’d have destroyed the planet already.”

“You might be right about that,” younger Loki said. “Thanos doesn’t appreciate any world that may challenge him. The only reason he’s never gone after Asgard is he never had the means to do so.”

“I’ll send a message,” Hill said and left the room.

“Is there anyone else you can think of who might help us?” Rogers asked.

Loki shrugged, “Not on this world and not that would be close enough to get here on time.”

“What about Asgard?” Thor asked. “I’m sure father would send some troops.”

“You could ask but,” Loki shook his head, “with the threat of the Dark Elves he has other things to worry about.”

“So what you’re saying,” Stark sighed, “is we’re on our own.”

“Unfortunately.”

Fury grunted, “Alright, then we work with what we have. Any helicarriers that we have either completed or near completed will be manned and ready ASAP. The evacuation of New York City and its surrounding suburbs is already underway.” His single eye found Loki. “That’s where Thanos is likely to go, New York?”

Loki agreed with the Director’s assessment. “Most likely. That was the last place he knew Loki to be. I would like to draw him far away from there if we can. If we could find someplace completely deserted, that would be better.”

“Where are you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” Loki replied honestly. “Anywhere that isn’t near a populated area.”

“We might not have a choice in that. All of the major cities are being evacuated and we’ll do what we can but we have no way to guarantee zero civilian casualties.”

Loki feared as much.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do before that purple bastard shows his face again.” Fury said to the room. “Get to it.”

Loki waited as the room emptied. There was so much to do and absolutely no way to know if what he _hoped_ might happen when the Stones were brought together would happen. There was no way to know if Thanos would overpower them all and take the Stones for himself. Loki felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and realized he, Thor and the younger Loki were the only ones left in the room.

“You should return to Asgard,” Thor said softly. “This is not your fight.”

“Isn’t it?” Loki asked. “What if my being in this reality is what has caused events to unfold the way they have? Thanos should never have come across the Soul Stone, not for at least another six years. I started to collect the Stones as a means to get Morgan and myself home but…” he closed his eyes, fighting back the wave of anguish and guilt he felt. He could still hear Morgan crying out for him. He cast his gaze towards his alternate. “I wanted to save you so badly that I never considered the consequences to your world. What if I have only made things worse?”

“As you’ve said,” Thor continued, “events would have eventually unfolded in which Thanos collects the Infinity Stones and completes his quest. That the events leading up to that have hastened matters not to me. I am glad… I am _thankful_ for what you have done for my brother and I am thankful for the things you have shown me. As much as I hate what has been done to him, to you both, I can only thank you for… What’s the Midguardian phrase? Pulling my head out of my ass.”

Loki chuckled softly, wiping away the sudden wetness in his eyes. “I don’t understand what is wrong with me. I know I’m stronger than this.”

“You are still strong,” Thor said gently. He wrapped his arm around Loki’s shoulder. “But you worry about not returning to Morgan.”

Loki was shocked by the sob that escaped him and he brought a hand up to cover his mouth. His vision blurred as tears began to fall. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he control his emotions?

“Thor is right,” younger Loki said. “You should be in Asgard with Morgan, not risking your life for us.”

Loki took a breath and wiped his eyes while forcing his emotions under control. After several more deep breaths he said, “No, this is my fight too. I was the catalyst, at least in part. I won’t abandon your reality when my actions helped bring yours to this point.”

“Stubborn to a fault,” Thor teased.

“Must be a family trait.”

“It was quite annoying to our tormentors,” added the younger.

“It was one of the few pleasures we were able to enjoy, wasn’t it?” Loki asked.

“Are you… are you _jesting_ about what was done to you?” Thor asked in disbelief.

Loki and his younger both shrugged. “It’s a way of coping,” younger Loki said. “If making jokes about it keeps me from breaking down completely then I’ll start doing standup.”

“You’ll start doing what?”

“Never mind.”

Shaking his head and grateful for Thor’s words, they began to leave the room when Thor stopped him. “I’d like to speak to you a moment longer, if I could.” Loki shared a look with his younger, confused. “I swear, it’s nothing bad,” Thor said, seeing their looks.

Shrugging, younger Loki said, “I’ll meet up with you afterwards.”

Younger Loki left and Loki turned to Thor. “What is it?”

Thor rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly uneasy all of a sudden and Loki felt his own unease begin to build. “I know you won’t return to Asgard even though I think you should but… You do know Morgan is safe there, right?”

“Of course,” Loki replied, “I wouldn’t have sent her if I wasn’t confident of that.”

“Your thoughts are not ever far from her. I guess I… there was something mother mentioned to me and from watching you at the farm I can see she was right.”

Now Loki was confused. “Right about what?”

“The bond you have with Morgan. Mother said you two were soul mates.”

Loki’s eyes bulged at Thor’s words. “Excuse me? She’s _four!_ ”

Thor jerked as if struck and he quickly raised his hands, “No, no, not like that. Mother wasn’t speaking of _that_ kind of soul mate. She said that you and I, or rather, you and your Thor are the same. Souls that are eternally connected and will continually find one another in every lifetime. She believes it is the reason why your bond is so strong, your souls are connected.”

Loki wasn’t sure what to make of Thor’s words. On one level it explained _a lot_ but on another… He didn’t have time to think about this right now. “Why are you telling me this?”

Thor shrugged, “Reassurance I suppose. With your bonds as strong as they are, I don’t see any way that you _wouldn’t_ return to them. You’re too stubborn to let yourself be taken from this world.”

“You might be right about that. Thanos broke my neck and after everything I’ve been through… by all rights I _should_ be dead.” He shrugged as well, feeling his lips turn up in a smirk. “But when have I ever done something anyone has _expected_ of me?”

“Fair point.”

Together they left the conference room and met up once more with the younger Loki. They watched the flurry of activity that had overtaken the SHIELD facility as people raced to and fro in an attempt to prepare for the inevitable battle.

Barton and Romanov had finally checked in and they had good news, the Sorcerers agreed to aid them. The Ancient One had used one of her portals to enable the assassins to return to SHIELD quickly.

Hill had also seen success in her communication with the Wakandan government. A conference call with the Wakandan King and other tribal elders would be taking place shortly. Loki and his younger, along with the Avengers had all been invited to sit in on it.

As everyone began to gather for the call with Wakanda, Stark leaned against the table and said, “Things seem to be going our way.”

“Really Stark,” younger Loki’s voice was full of exasperation, “are you _trying_ to jinx us?”

“At least he didn’t say this was easy,” Banner pointed out.

The younger groaned, “I’d have to stab him on principle if he’d said that.”

“Me too,” Loki added.

“I’m really feeling the love here guys,” Stark remarked drily. Loki and younger Loki both blew Stark a kiss at the same time. Stark reared back as if struck. “Don’t _do_ that!”

“If you’re not going to be serious during this conversation,” said Fury, “you can leave.”

“We’ll behave dad,” quipped Stark.

Loki caught Thor’s barely contained smile before the view screen lit up. Displayed on the screen were two prominent figures with several more people standing behind them. Loki recognized the display of royal power. Some things never changed, regardless of the culture.

_“Director Fury,”_ the central man intoned. _“I am King T’Chaka of Wakanda.”_

“Thank you for speaking with us,” Fury replied. “I’m sure Agent Hill informed you of the nature of our request.”

_“She did. She was gracious enough to explain the situation. Thanos will return in only a few days.”_

“He will,” nodded Fury.

Loki stood and made his way closer to the screen. “King T’Chaka, I am Crown Prince Loki of Asgard. I know we are asking much when we request aid from your kingdom but when Thanos arrives, he will lay this world to waste. Your kingdom will not remain hidden from him this time.”

_“Are you of this reality or are you from the other?”_

Loki didn’t know why he was even surprised. “I am not of this reality,” Loki replied, “but I’m afraid that my presence here may have caused the fate of your reality to change.”

A younger man stepped forward and Loki recognized King T’Challa, or rather, Prince T’Challa, since the man hadn’t been crowned yet. _“Then why_ have _you come to this reality?”_

“My coming here was not intentional,” Loki replied. “A couple of Midgard’s scientists were experimenting with something they, honestly, shouldn’t have. The device they built malfunctioned and exploded. I have the ability to teleport and I used that ability in an attempt to keep my niece from coming to harm. The resulting explosions from the machines thinned the barrier between our realities just enough that when I tried to teleport us away, we inadvertently fell though to this reality.”

King T’Chaka turned to the other leaders and began speaking in a language Loki doubted the man realized he could understand. Score one for All-Speak. He listened as the king and the tribal leaders spoke back and forth about the pros and cons of helping them. While they had agreed to the meeting, it appeared many of the tribes within Wakanda would rather stay out of the upcoming battle.

Loki decided to stop that train of thought. It might have seemed childish but he replied to them in their own language, _“Remaining isolated will not save you,”_ Loki’s words caused the Wakandan’s to stop and stare at him in surprise. _“The fact that Thanos did not find your kingdom when he was here last time was nothing more than sheer luck. You will not be so fortunate this time.”_

_“This is your world,”_ Thor added, moving to stand beside Loki and speaking in the Wakandan tongue as well. _“Why will you not fight for it?”_

“Any idea what they’re saying,” Stark asked, trying to keep his voice low.

“The Wakandan’s do not wish to fight,” replied younger Loki. He did not keep his voice down. “They don’t believe Thanos is their problem.”

“I sincerely hope I did not just waste my time with this,” Fury growled.

“Your Majesty,” Rogers said, stepping forward. “Did Agent Hill tell you what it is Thanos is after?”

The tribal leaders raised their voices in protest but with a gesture from their king, they became silent once more. _“She did,”_ replied the King T’Chaka, _“He is after a source of great power and believes there is another here.”_

“The Infinity Stones.”

“Did she happen to mention that Thanos has already acquired three of them?” asked Stark.

“And that I have the other three?” Loki added, raising a hand and allowing the three Stones he had hover above his palm. “While Thanos only believes two of the Stones are here, it will not take him long to realize the last is here as well.”

_“What happens beyond Wakanda’s boarders is not our concern,”_ stated one of the tribal leaders.

_“We have kept ourselves out of the affairs of the world,”_ Prince T’Challa said, _“this is true but can we, in good conscience, remain isolated this time?”_

_“We were protected and we will remain protected,”_ that same tribal member argued. _“Wakanda will endure. That the rest of the world wishes to destroy itself is of no concern to us.”_

“You are a fool,” Loki said, sending the Stones away once more.

_“How dare you!”_

_“Enough,”_ King T’Chaka barked. Calmer, he asked, _“What would you have us do?”_

Several voices of protest broke out again. Prince T’Challa and the regal woman shared a look. Loki had shared similar looks of frustration with his own mother. He racked his brain for the Queen’s name. More than once, he had seen a woman be the voice of reason among a room full of men. He hoped she would speak up soon. They did not have time for an argument.

_“Perhaps,”_ the Queen’s calm voice stopped the arguing short, _“it would be prudent to hear what the Prince has to say.”_

“Thank you, milady,” said Loki. “Your people have technology that may stand a chance of holding off Thanos long enough to take the Stones he has collected away from him. While Thanos is dangerous without the Stones, he is infinitely more so should he collect all six.”

_“You would sacrifice us? Draw Thanos’s attention to Wakanda to save your own skin?”_ a second tribal leader asked.

“I would have you fight for your world. Should Thanos acquire all six Infinity Stones he will not need to know of Wakanda’s existence to harm your people. He will, with a snap of his fingers,” Loki emphasized his point by snapping his own, “wipe out half of all _life_ in the _universe_. Your isolation will not protect you from that.”

A few of the tribal elders did not appear convinced. Loki could see that the important parties were being swayed though. King T’Chaka remained silent as he thought about what Loki had told them all. When the King spoke, everyone else became silent. _“Where do you expect the field of battle to be?”_

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid Thanos will attack New York City again since that is the last place my counterpart was known to be. I would prefer to find some place that is not likely to harm innocents. Even with the lives Thanos has already taken on your world, I fear we could never evacuate the city in time.”

“The Sorcerers have agreed to provide protection for the cities and surrounding areas. The Ancient One doesn’t believe they could evacuate everyone, even with their magic aiding our efforts,” Romanov said. “Especially not before Thanos arrives.”

_“There is a large plain just beyond our capital,”_ Prince T’Challa said, _“The chance of civilian casualties is limited. It would take no effort to move any Wakandan’s who live outside of our city’s boarders back inside for protection. Many of the surrounding tribes,”_ here he glanced meaningfully at the other tribal leaders, _“would be more than willing to fight.”_

“We will work a plan on our end,” Fury said.

“I can make myself known to the Chitauri,” Loki said. “They can alert Thanos that I have found the Stone.”

“Is that wise?” younger Loki asked.

Loki shrugged, “I’m honestly more surprised the Chitauri weren’t sent to search for you. I’m glad they didn’t but The Other would still have enough control over them to order such a search.”

“Unless The Other realized the connection was broken.”

“In which case he would believe you have gone rogue.”

“This is going to come at us from all sides,” Fury said. “If we can limit the scope of the battle to one central location instead of all around the world then we need to do that.”

“Yes…” the younger trailed off. He stood and approached the screen as well. “Roughly how much vibranium do you have access to?” he asked the Wakandan king.

There was muttering among the tribal leaders at his question and more than a few suspicious glances were aimed their way. _“Why do you ask?”_ King T’Chaka inquired.

“Next to uru, vibranium is one of the strongest metals in the universe. It is used in the manufacturing of ships and armor. If the amount of vibranium you have access to is of a substantial amount, it could be used as a lure for Thanos.”

“We could mitigate the risk to the cities by drawing Thanos straight to a battlefield,” Loki added, following the younger’s train of thought. “Place the Stones there as well and he would have no reason to send his forces anywhere else in the world. With the aid of the Sorcerers, we could hide a significant portion of our warriors. We could lead Thanos to believe we have come to collect the vibranium, bring him to the field and surround his forces.”

_“To answer your question,”_ King T’Chaka said, _“several million metric tons.”_

Loki was shocked at the quantity. He was not the only one, “You could outfit an entire fleet with that amount,” Thor said.

“And then some,” younger Loki added.

Fury turned his single eye back to the screen. “SHIELD agents will be headed your way,” he said to the king, “and we will also send assets to New York just to be safe.”

_“Agreed,”_ King T’Chaka said. _“Our warriors will be ready.”_

The connection ended, leaving the conference room in silence. The reality of what they would soon be facing hitting them all hard.

“So uh…” Stark began, “May the Force be with you?”

There were several groans then Fury began to bark out orders. People rushed from the room to continue preparations for Thanos’s arrival. Loki knew that no matter how much they prepared, innocent lives were about to be lost. That thought sat heavy in his stomach. With a shake of his head, he left to make preparations of his own.

* * *

Loki waited for the elder Loki to leave the conference room. During the meeting, a second plan had slowly begun to form in his mind. He knew neither Thor nor elder Loki would allow him to meet with The Other or any from the Black Order and honestly, Loki was fine with that. The thought of having to face _any_ of them turned his stomach.

Gathering his courage, he went in search of the other Loki. He found him standing in a, surprisingly, empty corridor. The other Loki looked worn and Loki knew much of it was due to the guilt he felt for sending Morgan to Asgard and not following her. Loki understood why the elder had done what he did and Loki felt his own guilt at being thankful the elder had stayed behind. He could still hear Morgan crying out for her uncle.

Shaking his head, he approached the older Loki. “Might I speak with you for a moment?”

The elder Loki tipped his head away from the wall and looked over at him. “Of course,” he replied.

“I… I’ve had an idea about when we meet with Thanos. Do you think that the…” he glanced around the corridor to be sure they wouldn’t be overheard. Satisfied with their seclusion he continued, “…Mind Stone could make it appear as if it was controlling someone?”

The elder’s brow furrowed, “I suppose it could, why?”

“Well, if it can do that and also keep our minds blocked from The Other, we could make him believe that part of the reason I was missing was due to my search not only for the Stone, but for the vibranium and the Avengers as well. We could make it appear as if we had them under our thrall.”

“That’s… not a bad idea. It would allow our allies easier access to our target. Wish I’d thought of it.”

“In a way, you did. I mean, we are technically the same person.”

The elder chuckled softly. “I suppose you’re right. Although I’m not quite sure Thor will go along with it.”

“I’m sure he’ll argue at first but if we remind him that he’ll be there with us I don’t see why he wouldn’t agree.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘us’?”

“If the Stone can block The Other from reading our minds then we can use that to make every one of Thanos’s lieutenants believe that one of us is nothing more than a simulacrum. They have no reason to suspect that there are currently two of us in this reality nor that you have faced them before and _won._ ”

The elder hummed then gestured for Loki to follow him. They both teleported to a location where there was no possible chance of their conversation being overheard. “Thor is going to be angry when he realizes we are gone,” Loki pointed out.

“We won’t be long.”

A gentle breeze blew, the scent of sea air filling Loki’s nose. It was calming and he was instantly reminded of home, and yet the thought of home didn’t cause fear to course through him as it had before. “Where are we?”

“Norway,” the elder replied. “In my reality, this is where we built New Asgard.”

Loki let his gaze wander around their surroundings. It was peaceful and he realized he could hear ocean waves off in the distance. He could fall asleep to that sound. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” the other agreed, “and we were beginning to expand it. New Asgard is our own little embassy to Midgard.”

“I’m sure the council loves that.”

“Those who survived to live in New Asgard are either indifferent or can see a small amount of potential. Those who were lost to Hela and revived by Infinity don’t see any reason to continue relations with Midgard. Thor and I are trying to strengthen relations, especially since some of our people decided to stay on Midgard. Also we have family there so…”

The elder trailed off and Loki saw the flash of pain he failed to completely hide. Loki stepped closer, “Are you sure you want to be here? I’m sure mother could find a different way to send you home.”

“I’m sure she could, given time,” elder Loki agreed, “but I can’t walk away from this fight. I helped bring this about simply by being here. I can’t leave your reality to Thanos’s machinations. It’s just… I sent the orb to Asgard as well and I can’t help but think that, if I don’t survive, I never said goodbye. I’m afraid of how Thor would handle my death. He wouldn’t be alone but… for the longest time the only family we had was each other.”

“You won’t die,” Loki stated firmly. “After everything you have done for me, I’m not about to let the one person who understands me completely perish.”

Older Loki held out a hand and the Mind Stone appeared, hovering over his open palm. Loki could hear the Stone whispering and instinctively closed his mind to it. Even with all of the reassurances he’d had that the Stone wouldn’t harm him, he couldn’t bring himself to listen to it just yet. After a few minutes, the Stone disappeared as the elder closed his palm.

“It says it can make it appear to control anyone without actually controlling them,” elder Loki stated. “We should split our forces. You with one half and me with the other. That way the idea of a simulacrum won’t seem suspicious.”

Loki nodded in agreement. “Good point, but how would we remain connected?”

“Comms. The earbuds are small enough that they will be easily hidden beneath the helm.” He smiled and Loki couldn’t help but smile in return. “Thanos won’t know what hit him.”

* * *

The next three days seemed to fly by. Thor had argued against the plan that younger Loki had laid out at first but in the end had seen the merit of it. It helped that Thor would be with his brother during this. Their forces had split into two main groups with the Sorcerers hiding half of their army, to include half of the Wakandan army. Younger Loki, Thor and the rest of the Avengers that weren’t with Loki were on board the carrier flagship.

This time Loki found himself not back in New York City, but standing upon a lush green plain, awaiting the arrival of Thanos and/or his lieutenants. If it weren’t for what he knew was coming, Loki would have appreciated the view more. As it was, Loki’s stomach was in knots and he felt like he was shaking so badly he may as well be vibrating. None of this was visible to those around him. He rolled his neck in an attempt to relieve some of the tension.

“Something wrong?” Stark asked.

Loki looked over at the other man. The faceplate of his suit opened, revealing Stark’s face. It was strange to see him with bright blue eyes. “No, I’m just not used to this helm anymore. The one I typically wear is much lighter.”

“What is with the horns anyway?”

Loki chuckled. “Thor and I were still quite young when we were allowed to choose the design for our helms. We both wanted to mimic our father who has both horns and feathers on his. We broke it up and,” Loki shrugged, “the horns were pointy.”

“And you like to stab things.”

Loki’s smile became genuine and some of the tension he felt melted away. “It is fun.”

A Quinjet landed then Barton, Romanov and Prince T’Challa exited the craft. “Nothing yet?” Barton asked.

“No,” replied Loki, “but we have no way of knowing exactly when or where they will land.”

“We have evacuated the outlying villages,” T’Challa said. “The range of the shield has been minimized to allow for it to have a greater chance of protecting the city.”

Loki’s eyes scanned the skyline. Though he knew there were multiple helicarriers in the sky, only a couple of them could be seen. Turning his gaze to the other side of the valley, he could see the Wakandans lining up for battle as well.

Loki nodded, hoping it would be enough. Even with only half their fleet visible and the support from Wakanda, Loki knew they were severely outnumbered. The Midgardians would fight for their world, of that he had no doubt, whether or not they would win was another question entirely.

The Mind Stone felt like a weight against his chest. He’d pulled the Stone from his dimensional pocket so that its energy signature could be tracked. He was hoping Thanos would take the bait.

“The Chitauri are moving,” Romanov said.

A leviathan drifted by, followed by more aircraft. Loki could see ground troops moving as well. “They have a hive mind,” he replied. “With The Other so close, they may have relayed the information we have given them and received new orders to return to the rest of the fleet. The Chitauri were never truly Loki’s to control.”

They had already tested the first part of their plan. Loki and his small group had revealed themselves to the Chitauri and Loki had explained away his absence as his working to make the Avengers his own along with searching for the Infinity Stone and subsequent discovery of vibranium. The damn creatures seemed to buy it. The real test would be against Thanos and the Black Order.

That the Chitauri were moving and neither Loki nor his counterpart had felt The Other reach out to them was a bit troubling. Had the broken connection already given them away?

A distant rumble drew their attention to the skyline. A large, circular ship descended from the clouds. “Is that it?” asked Barton.

“No, his flagship must still be in space.”

“That’s not exactly comforting,” Stark quipped.

Together they watched as the ship drifted towards them. It showed no signs of stopping. “I have a bad feeling about this,” muttered Barton, followed by a smack and, “ow.”

Loki couldn’t blame the archer. Something wasn’t right. Why was there only one ship? Where was the rest of Thanos’s fleet? What little of the Chitauri army that had remained on Midgard had slowly been converging across the field. There were quite a lot less than Loki had been expecting. He’d been under the impression there were more Chitauri forces on the planet. Could they be hiding somewhere else?

Loki’s thoughts were interrupted when the ship finally landed. Loki and the others watched as five figures exited the craft. He recognized The Other and the members of the Black Order. Loki stepped forward, gripping tightly to the scepter. He could hear the others taking up supporting positions around him.

“Loki,” Ebony Maw said, folding his hands in front of him, “father is most displeased with you.”

“My heart bleeds,” Loki replied before he could stop himself. “I can’t help that locating the Stone took time.”

“You have not reported any progress in quite some time,” rasped The Other. “We cannot help but wonder why.”

“I was under the impression that Midgard was mine to rule once I delivered the Tesseract. I have done so and still your master demands more. How can I claim to be a benevolent god when you slaughter half of my people?”

Proxima Midnight laughed, “You think this pathetic world is yours?”

“It is what I was promised,” Loki growled.

“On the condition that you follow the master’s commands,” The Other said. “You have not done so. The master promised retribution for failure. Not only have you have failed to deliver, you have also blocked me out.”

“You should all rejoice,” Maw said, spreading his hands wide, “for you are all ab—”

“Are you seriously about to monologue?” Stark interrupted. “Do you have any idea how cliché that is?”

Maw was obviously irked at having been interrupted. The scepter was suddenly ripped from Loki’s grasp with a gesture from Maw. The Other took hold of it. “You no longer… Where is the Stone?” he demanded.

Loki grinned, “You mean this?” Loki called the Mind Stone to his hand. “Yes, I discovered what gave the scepter its power. It helped in locating these,” next he called the Time and Reality Stones to his hand as well. When Maw tried to pull the Stones to himself, Loki sent them away with a wave of his hand. “If Thanos wants the Stones, he will have to come down here himself.”

“You will pay for this insolence,” Maw stated. His beady eyes scrutinized the helicarriers. “We have a far superior army.”

“Maybe,” Loki conceded, “but we have something you don’t.”

Cull Obsidian scoffed, “What’s that?”

The sudden roar stopped the Children of Thanos short. Loki’s grin only became wider, “We have a hulk.”

Hulk barreled into the Black Order, batting Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive away as though they were nothing. Cull went down hard and Hulk began to pound the other creature into the ground.

Loki winced, partly in sympathy and party to be a sarcastic ass. He cast his gaze to the two remaining minions. “You were saying?”

With a gesture, Maw pulled Hulk from Cull and tossed him aside. That only further enraged Hulk who let out another roar and attacked again. Proxima and Corvus attempted to attack as well only to be swatted away once again. They went flying as though they were cartoon characters.

“All you’re doing is pissing him off,” Loki stated flatly.

“Enough of this,” The Other growled. He tossed the useless scepter aside and tipped his head up.

The next sound they heard stopped everyone, including Hulk. It was the sound of something heavy, several somethings in fact, that caused them all to glance skyward as well. Multiple dark obelisks fell, crashing against the ground.

“Hand over the Stones or be destroyed,” said The Other.

Loki shifted his outfit to his more comfortable fighting leathers. “You never had any intention _but_ destruction,” Loki said. “Tell the purple bastard that if he wants the Infinity Stones so badly, he’s going to have to come down here and pry them from my cold dead hands.”

Maw lifted into the air and he pulled the rest of his group with him. “As you wish. It will be a pleasure to finally kill you.” They returned to their ship.

Loki felt a shift in the ether and saw younger Loki appear. He’d brought the rest of the Avengers with him. “What are you doing here?” Loki asked.

“I had to come,” younger Loki said. “I felt… I felt The Other trying to reach me. Before I could completely block him out I managed to somehow see some of what they are planning.”

“They’re planning on trying to wipe us out,” Stark said.

“It’s more than that. Before now, whenever Thanos culled a world he claimed it was as a means of bringing balance. Now he sees my defiance of him, this world fighting back, as a personal affront. He wants revenge against us all. They’ve been ordered to destroy everything in their path.”

In the distance, the obelisks began to open releasing the warriors within. They set about lining themselves up, battle cries ringing out.

Quite a bit of chatter had commenced as soon as the obelisks had landed. Loki could hear Fury barking orders, revising their strategy. There was no way they would be able to surround Thanos’s forces now. They simply did not have the numbers. Loki was no longer confident they could win. _What have I gotten us into?_ he wondered.

“Our shields will not extend this far,” T’Challa said, “not without losing integrity.”

“I doubt it would matter,” younger Loki replied. Some of the helicarriers began to move, taking flanking positions around the flagship.

“F-18’s will not be any match for the Outriders,” Loki said. “They’ll be nothing more than fodder.”

“We have to try something,” Rogers argued.

“We did manage to outfit all of the fighter jets with vibranium based ammunition,” Stark said. “That should give them a better chance of taking them out.”

Loki turned to face the others, guilt weighing heavily on him. Not only would his actions get them all killed, Thanos would leave this planet completely uninhabitable by the time he was done.

Loki started to speak only to be interrupted by the unexpected boom of the Bifröst. When the Bifröst shutdown, they were all surprised to see Odin atop Sleipnir, in full battle regalia with Gungnir clutched in his hand. Sleipnir pawed at the ground while Odin dismounted. The All-Father walked towards them, his singular eye focused entirely on younger Loki. He set Gungnir to stand on its own once he’d stopped.

The younger opened his mouth only for Odin to sharply lift a hand. “Do not speak,” Odin ordered, gripping the younger Loki’s chin with his other hand, forcing their gazes to meet. When he continued talking his voice remained even, which somehow only emphasized his anger. “Boy, I ought to drop your britches and tan your hide.

“I expect asinine and rash decisions from your brother, but not from you. Whatever possessed you to think that I would _ever_ glean joy from your pain let alone your _death?”_ Odin asked. “I know I have made many mistakes where you are concerned but bringing you home was never one of them. You inherited your willful nature and the storms you carry from me, and although I may not have sired you, you are _my son._ While I am disappointed in you, nothing you do will ever make me stop loving you. Once this is over, you and I are going to have a long talk. Do you understand me?”

Younger Loki nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Yes papa.”

Odin let go of his chin. “Good.” Taking Gungnir back in hand, “Now let us win this war,” he slammed the spear against the ground and a force radiated out from the strike.

Once again, the Bifröst activated only this time it remained opened while Einherjar began to pour out. Loki couldn’t help but be awed by the _thousands_ of troops that moved into formation.

Thunder crashed and Loki looked to Thor who seemed flabbergasted by the sound. “That wasn’t me,” Thor said.

Loki wasn’t the only one to be surprised when three new figures _flew_ out of the Bifröst. Loki was stunned and let out a yelp as he was not fast enough to escape the bear hug he was suddenly caught up in. With his arms pinned to his sides, he was unable to prevent his feet from leaving the ground from the force of the hug. “Still need to breathe,” he gasped.

Thor, _his Thor_ , released him. Tony and Pepper landed beside them, their helmets retracting as they stepped up beside them. He received a hug from Pepper once Thor stepped away.

“How are you here?” Loki asked.

“Your mother is a miracle worker,” Tony said, “and freaky scary. I thought _I_ was obsessive when trying to figure something out. Your mom is on a _whole_ new level.”

“You are in big trouble too,” Pepper added, smacking him in the shoulder. “Morgan is actually mad at you so you had better plan to do some serious groveling to get back into her good graces.” Her eyes found younger Loki, “Both of you do.”

Loki wasn’t quite sure how to reply to that at the moment. He was still in awe at his mother (mothers?) bringing people over from his reality. The amount of reinforcements Asgard had sent also left him speechless.

Barton’s voice broke the stunned silence. “Are you saying we have to deal with two Stark’s now?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tony said, pretending to sound offended. “Not just two of me Legolas.” He gestured to where people were _still_ exiting the Bifröst. “We brought back up.” The rest of the “original six” came through as well along with members who had yet to join the Avengers in this reality. It was an awe-inspiring sight to say the least.

Finally, the Bifröst deactivated and when Loki once more scanned the area, he felt hope spark. Their armies were evenly matched; the only thing now was to draw Thanos to the battlefield.

“So what’s the game plan?” Tony asked.

“Thanos appears to still be on his flagship,” Rogers said. “He has three of the Infinity Stones and Loki has the rest. We need to keep our Stones away from Thanos but also try and take away the ones he has too.”

“Easier said than done,” Romanov said. “We don’t know where Thanos is,” she gestured to the army across the field from them, “in all of that.”

“With The Other and the Black Order here, I doubt he’s left _Sanctuary II_ ,” Loki said. “He’ll be coordinating his attack from there.”

“So we bring the fight to him,” Stark said.

“I agree with Nat,” Barton said, “that’s easier said than done. Which one of those ships is his?”

“None,” younger Loki said. “ _Sanctuary II_ is still in orbit.”

“So we draw him down.”

“How?” Thor asked.

“The Einherjar will engage the Titan’s ground forces,” Odin said, having listened to their conversation. “We can eliminate the Chitauri threat by removing their controller.”

“That would be The Other,” Loki said. “Without the scepter his ability to take over minds has been neutralized. Beyond the Outriders, the biggest threat on the ground are the members of the Black Order.”

“You mean the Dream Team that was here earlier?” Stark asked.

“Yes.”

“They are his lieutenants,” younger Loki said. “If we remove them from the equation it would guarantee Thanos’s appearance down here.”

“So that’s what we do,” Roger said. “We bring Thanos to us and take the Stones he has from him.”

Tony clapped his hands together and his helmet reformed over his head. “Alright then, kill Thanos take… what number are we on?”

“Three,” older Thor said as lightning danced around his body and his eyes turned white. Younger Thor’s jaw dropped at the display of power.

Across the field, Thanos’s forces were gearing themselves up for the upcoming fight. The Outriders bellowed and the Wakandans answered with a chant of their own. The Einherjar remained silent but Loki knew from their stance that they were ready and eager for battle.

Loki wasn’t entirely sure what the trigger was. One moment the two armies were squaring off against one another and the next, both sides were charging. F-18’s launched from the helicarriers to take on the leviathans with their new vibranium based ammunition. They came together with a clash that sounded like thunder. It could actually have been thunder given that there were two versions of Thor participating in the fight.

Loki dogged and weaved, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any member of the Black Order or The Other. None of them were within the immediate vicinity. He needed bait and so he called forth the Infinity Stones he possessed. They moved to hover lazily about his shoulders.

Loki suddenly dropped backwards as one of the Outriders flew towards him. He dogged underneath it as it plowed into another group, wiping out a squad of Outriders. Hulk let out a roar of anger as he chased after another group.

“Sorry about that,” Banner said, rushing over and helping Loki up. His cheeks had turned a darker shade of green. “I can’t believe I was ever like that.”

Loki laughed, “Right now we need that kind of brutality.” He grinned up at the other man, “So feel free to smash things.” Banner rolled his eyes but there was a tiny smile on his lips as he rejoined the fray.

Loki leapt over a band of Chitauri, running across their heads as though they were posts and throwing daggers into the base of their necks as he passed. _Come on_ , he thought, _take the Norns-dammed bait!_

He felt a pull on his mind and instinctively teleported. He appeared beside younger Loki who had somehow managed to engage both Ebony Maw and The Other. Maw held the younger fast with his telekinesis and the younger struggled to break the invisible bonds.

“May I?” Loki asked the younger.

“Oh, please do,” younger Loki replied.

“Creating an illusion of yourself will not save you,” The Other said to younger Loki.

Loki disappeared and reappeared behind The Other, shoving a blade through the other creatures torso. “I’m not an illusion,” Loki hissed. While he had delivered a fatal blow, death was not instant. The Other would die slowly. “I’m from another reality.” He shot a blast of seiðr at Maw who was too slow to dodge it. Maw flew several feet. With his concentration lost, younger Loki dropped to the ground.

“Thank you,” the younger said, drawing his own daggers. He flicked his wrist and one of his knives embedded itself in The Other’s head. Loki cocked an eyebrow. “What?” younger Loki asked. “As much as I would love for him to suffer a slow agonizing death, we don’t exactly have time for it.”

“Fair point I suppose,” Loki conceded.

Together they turned to face Maw who had recovered from the blow. His grotesque face had twisted with rage. “Give me the Stones.”

Loki shared a look with the younger, “No.”

“You will pay for your insolence.”

“Could you possibly be any more cliché?” Loki asked. “I mean, honestly, as far as supervillain cliché’s go you are ticking off all the boxes.”

Maw stiffened and loose debris began to circle around them. As Maw sent objects of varying sizes at them, both Loki and his younger dogged while at the same time tried to get closer. He felt Maw trying to pull the Stones away from him but they wouldn’t budge. A vein started to bulge along the side of Maw’s head.

“Enough games Loki,” Maw bellowed. “Give me the Stones!”

More debris flew through the air, making it near impossible to doge them, let alone get close to Maw. They would need to come up with another tactic.

There was the distinct screech of bending metal then younger Loki let out a yelp as several pieces of wreckage wrapped around his body. Loki staggered as something hit him from behind. He fell to his knees and before he could stand, he felt his throat close. He instinctively clawed at his neck but there was nothing there. Maw was using his powers to close off Loki’s airway. Spots danced across his vision as he began to panic.

“Even if what you say is true and you are from another reality,” Maw said as he stalked closer, “you will die all the same.”

Loki’s heart raced. _I can’t breathe!_ he thought desperately. _I can’t breathe!_ His vision narrowed and instead of the battlefield, he saw the ruins of the _Statesman_. He could hear Thor’s muffled cries behind the metal that covered his mouth. Loki’s chest ached and it felt as though his lungs were about to explode. _I can’t breathe! Someone please help me! I can’t breathe!_

“Maw, stop!”

“This,” Maw’s voice broke into Loki’s swirling thoughts, “brings me great pleasure. I will enjoy killing you twice.”

Ozone suddenly filled the air and he heard someone else gasp. Loki’s vision cleared enough to see Maw looking down at the smoking hole in his chest in surprise. Maw’s lifeless body fell to the ground and yet the vice around Loki’s throat hadn’t let up.

Odin dropped Gungnir and pulled Loki to his knees from where he had bent over. Behind the All-Father, both Thor’s landed, one rushing to help the younger Loki and the other coming over to him. He caught his brother’s mismatched eyes, “Loki!”

Odin laid a hand along Loki’s cheek. “Breathe Loki,” Odin ordered.

Loki’s airway suddenly opened and he began to cough while at the same time he tried to take in large breaths. He twisted to the side and threw up a small amount of bile. He felt Thor wrap an arm around him, “You’re all right,” Thor said. “You’re all right, just breathe.”

“Thank you,” Loki said once he was able. His throat burned but his seiðr quickly took care of that. He climbed to his feet and Thor helped him to stay steady.

Younger Thor finished removing the restraints from younger Loki. “Are you injured?” younger Thor inquired.

“Yes,” younger Loki replied.

“Where?” Odin asked.

“My pride.”

Loki couldn’t keep from snickering. He sobered and let his eyes fall upon the bodies of Maw and The Other. Strangely, he felt nothing from their deaths. He’d thought he would have gleaned some satisfaction from watching them die but instead he was completely indifferent. He returned his attention to the others. “What about the rest of the Black Order?”

“I think Hulk is toying with the big one,” Thor said.

“Cull Obsidian,” younger Loki said. He gestured to the two bodies, “These two were Thanos’s top lieutenants. While the others of the Black Order may not be dead, yet, hopefully this will draw Thanos down.”

Odin retrieved Gungnir. “If it is not, then we must continue to eliminate his army.” His single eye swept over them. “Be vigilant, I have no intention of burying any of my sons today.” Odin whistled and Sleipnir galloped over. The All-Father mounted his warhorse and rejoined the melee.

Loki took a moment to scan the battlefield. The F-18’s along with the Wakandan ships were managing to hold their own against the Leviathans, even bringing several of them down. Younger Thor and Loki left to rejoin the fight as well, leaving Loki alone with Thor for the moment.

Thor clapped him in the shoulder, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Loki nodded, “Yes, considering the circumstances.” They watched Tony fly by, blasting another regiment then chasing after a Leviathan. He briefly listened to the chatter over the comms. “Is he keeping score?”

Thor rolled his eyes. “Apparently Tony and… Tony decided to see which of them could get the most kills and for some reason they’re competing with the two Barton’s too.”

Loki ran a hand down his face, not sure whether to laugh or scream. A Chitauri fighter craft went up in a large fireball and he watched Tony and Stark high-five in the air.

_“That still only counts as one!”_ the Barton’s echoed over the comm.

Finally deciding it was better to laugh, he did so then followed Thor into battle. They worked in tandem to take down as many foes in their path as possible. Loki spotted the bodies of the remaining members of the Black Order sometime later, long after he had become separated from his brother.

A shadow fell over the battlefield, causing the combatants to pause and look up. _Sanctuary II_ loomed over them all. The ships gun mounts swiveled, taking aim at the warriors on the ground. “Cover!”

Loki and the surviving Sorcerers created a shield above their allies as the ship began to fire. Loki knew there was no way they could keep the shields up indefinitely along with having to fight Thanos’s forces. The Reality Stone moved from hovering around his shoulder to above his outstretched palm. The next thing he knew, all of the blasts coming from _Sanctuary II_ changed from beams of energy to bubbles.

“Are you doing this?”

Quickly, the Reality Stone returned to hover around his shoulder. Loki turned to who had spoken to him and he recognized Princess Shuri. “Uh…”

“That’s awesome!” the girl cried. “Once this is over you have _got_ to show me how you do that.” She turned and blasted away a Chitauri warrior. “I’m Shuri.”

“Loki…” He cast his gaze skyward again when the ship stopped attempting to fire. The air across the battlefield changed and Loki felt a sense of foreboding wash over him. He nodded to the princess, “Watch yourself,” and moved across the field. Everything in him was telling him that this was what he had been waiting for. Thanos had entered the field. The brief pause at his entrance gave way to fighting once again. With luck, this would all be over soon.

Loki ran, attempting to make his way closer to where Thanos was. He was still quite a fair distance away and although he could have attempted to teleport, there was no way of knowing what the immediate area around Thanos was like. While he would like nothing more than to have the element of surprise over Thanos, he did not want to risk walking into some kind of trap. He needn’t have worried though since he was suddenly caught up in an explosion as _Sanctuary II_ began to fire its batteries again. Loki went flying through the air and the world around him went black before he even hit the ground.

* * *

Loki ran across the field, taking out enemies left and right. While he was not about to complain, Loki would have thought he’d be tiring by now given how long the fight had been going on. Loki wasn’t quite sure how long they had been fighting, though. It seemed like hours.

Loki had lost sight of the older version of himself and his brother but his Thor had somehow managed to stay by his side. Loki wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed by that or not. It wasn’t until after the fifth (or was it sixth?) time Thor had protected him like some kind of helpless maiden that Loki finally decided annoyed was the right emotion.

“Would you stop that!” he snapped at Thor while simultaneously shoving one of his blades in the throat of the nearest Chitauri.

Thor actually looked genuinely confused, “What?”

“I’m not some damsel that needs protecting.” To emphasize his point, he took out three more Outriders.

“I know you aren’t.”

“Then stop treating me like it. Otherwise the next person I’ll stab is you.”

Thor threw Mjölnir and the hammer flew in a wide arch around them, wiping out an entire squad. She came back to her master’s hand. Thor winced, “Sorry. I didn’t even realize I was doing that.”

Loki cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. “Thor, you are a _terrible_ liar.”

“I’m not—”

“Your eye twitches when you lie. I’ve known about that tell since we were children.”

Thor sent Mjölnir out once again then folded his arms. “I do _not_ have a tell and I wasn’t lying.”

“Thor,” Loki continued to give his brother a dry look, “‘God of Lies’ remember? I can _tell_ when you’re lying.”

“I hate you sometimes.” Thor’s words would have been hurtful had it not been for the obvious affection in his eyes.

Loki smiled and said with equal fondness, “I hate you too.” Loki realized their immediate area was clear of enemies. When had that happened?

The quiet which had come over their area was broken by the sound of large batteries discharging. Several people cried out and Loki looked up just in time to see _Sanctuary II_ beginning to fire. Loki created a shield above them at the same time Thor tackled him to the ground and lay over him protectively.

Neither of them quite knew what to make of the scene when the blasts became bubbles. Loki poked at Thor’s side, “What were you saying about not protecting me?”

Thor’s cheeks turned crimson as he sat back on his haunches. He pointed to the bubbles that still gently floated down to the earth. “What could cause that?”

Loki sat up and shrugged. He had a sense of embarrassment that wasn’t his own. Almost like whatever it was, was embarrassed about having attention drawn to it. “The Reality Stone.”

Thor stood then helped Loki to his feet. “Where to now?”

Loki cast his gaze about, feeling a shift in the air. Something had changed and even without seeing it, he knew, “Thanos had arrived on the battlefield.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes,” Loki’s feelings were conflicted. Part of him wanted to run as far away as possible while another could not wait to confront the Titan.

“I don’t want you near him,” Thor said.

Loki turned back to face Thor, “You have no say in that.”

“After all he did to you—”

“I know _exactly_ what he did to me.” Loki interrupted. “I see it every night in my dreams, but Thor, if I don’t face him I’ll never have closure. If I don’t aid in his defeat or at the very least see it with my own eyes then I will always fear that he will come after me. I _have_ to do this Thor. I’ll never heal if I don’t.”

While Thor did not appear pleased with Loki’s words, he did not continue to argue. “I can’t promise that I won’t try to protect you.”

“I can live with that. I won’t even stab you for it.”

Thor chuckled softly. “Then come brother, let us vanquish your nightmare.”

Loki led the way, Thor following close behind. Loki seemed to know instinctively which path to take to find Thanos. What was calling to him was not the Titan nor the prospect of ridding himself of his nightmare for good. No, it was the gentle whisper of Infinity.

Loki may not have truly opened his mind to the being but he no longer felt threatened by it. It was strange, that revelation, but its whispers had become almost comforting. He could _feel_ Infinity’s remorse for what it had been forced to do to him while part of itself was slave to Thanos. Even though the Titan held three of the Stones, he doubted Thanos would be able to use them successfully against Loki.

Thanos’s purple skin was in stark contrast to the gray of the Chitauri and the Outriders and he stood out like a sore thumb. The Titan wasn’t even fighting. He was simply standing there, gazing out at the bloodshed. His stance was that of one who was confident in his victory and although Loki could not see his face, he knew the Titan’s expression was one of satisfaction.

Loki manifested a new dagger and let it fly. While his aim was true, Thanos spun and his gauntleted hand deflected the knife before it could imbed itself in the back of the purple bastard’s head.

“Loki,” Thanos drawled. “Did you actually think that would work?”

Loki shrugged, affecting an air of nonchalance, “Honestly? No, but it was worth a shot.”

“Foolish and I had once thought you held great potential,” Thanos said. “Yet another disappointment.”

“I’d apologize but we all know it wouldn’t be sincere.” Loki felt the crackle of electricity in the air and was surprised to see small arcs of lightning moving around his brother’s form.

Thor held Mjölnir out threateningly. “You will pay for what you have done to my brother,” he growled.

Thanos laughed, “Ah, so you are the brother my son called for. Shame you never found his suffering worth your time. My son knows you are not really his brother because if you were, you never would have abandoned him like you did.”

Thor flinched and Loki felt his anger rise. “I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work,” he said, “and I’m _not_ your son. I was _never_ your son. My name is Loki _Odinson_. I know my true family and it doesn’t include _you._ ”

Thanos’s expression became hard and he shook his head slowly. “You were always stubborn Loki,” Thanos said, “always fighting against the truth, fighting against my vision. What I do, I do for the good of the universe. Why do you refuse to see that?”

“You slaughter billions for your own personal satisfaction,” Thor yelled. “Don’t you dare pretend otherwise!”

Loki’s gaze found the three glowing Stones in the golden gauntlet on Thanos’s hand. The Titan tracked his gaze and smirked. “I suppose you have come to try and take these from me?” Thanos said, holding up the Stones. “They bend to my will and when I obtain the final three,” he held out his hand towards them, “my vision will finally come true.”

A blast of power shot out from the Gauntlet towards Thor and Loki. The brothers dived to the side and the ground behind them exploded, sending dirt and debris raining down on them. Thor leapt to his feet with a yell, brandishing Mjölnir as he rushed the Titan only to be flung aside as though he was nothing more than a ragdoll. Thor impacted the ground hard.

Loki rushed Thanos, hoping to provide a distraction long enough for his brother to recover. Loki knew he was no match for Thanos as he currently was, not with the power of the Stones at his disposal.

Unlike Thor, Loki was more adept at close quarters combat. He managed to land several blows before he too was swatted aside. Thor had come to his feet again and rushed Thanos once more. The Titan held up his hand, the blue of the Space Stone glowing slightly brighter than the rest.

“No!” Loki cried, both aloud and in his mind when Thor stopped midair. He struggled against invisible bonds as the Power Stone began to glow brighter as well.

_Don’t hurt him!_ Loki pled. _He’s my brother!_

Loki gave a start when he heard a clear reply in his mind, _We do not wish to beloved. We will try to hold back as much power as we can._

Energy from the two Stones Thanos was attempting to use arced back against him. Thanos cried out as the raw energy melted portions of his armor and burned the skin along his arm. The scent of charred flesh stung Loki’s nose.

There was another cry and the sound of more energy blasts as the elder Thor, along with both Stark’s, attacked Thanos. The elder Thor’s oversized axe (seriously, what was with his brother and oversized weapons?) came down. Thanos just barely managed to keep from being cleaved in two.

“Enough!” Thanos bellowed, sending out a wave of energy that knocked them all back.

Loki felt as though his whole body went numb. The renewed sounds of blaster fire rang hollowly in his ears. He was unable to put up a fight as he was hauled up by two Chitauri solders. The others were restrained by more solders. The blaster fire stopped only moments after it had started and Loki opened his eyes to see Thanos looming over him.

“I have been patient,” Thanos said, “and I have been benevolent but once I obtain the remaining Stones you and all who have helped you, will die.”

* * *

Awareness slowly returned to Loki. The sounds of battle had lessened and he tried to force his eyes open to see what was happening. His eyes refused to listen to his commands but he could feel someone dragging him somewhere. This went on for several more minutes and by the time they came to a stop Loki was able to crack his eyes open a little.

“Loki!” Thor called, though Loki couldn’t tell which one.

“My daughter was correct,” Thanos’s voice caused Loki to flinch, “there are two sets of you all here. I will be able to take my vision beyond not just this world, but this reality as well.”

One of Loki’s captors used his hair to pull his head back. Loki’s eyes finally opened all the way and what he saw caused his heart to leap into his throat. Both Thor’s and Tony’s along with younger Loki had been forced to their knees before the Titan. Loki did not know where Pepper or Odin were but he feared the worst. The All-Father couldn’t have fallen, he had to be somewhere on the battlefield and Pepper, there was no way she would go down easily either.

Gamora stepped past Loki and held out her hand to her father, who accepted the three Infinity Stones Loki had acquired.

“I have to admit,” Thanos began as he set about placing the Stones in his Gauntlet, “in all my years of conquest, violence and slaughter, it was never personal but this,” he gestured around them, “what I am about to do to you all,” he smiled, “I am going to enjoy.” His eyes tracked back and forth between Loki and his counterpart. “You have failed me; you have _defied_ me for the last time Asgardian. I promised you a kingdom and all you had to do was bring me the Stones. Instead, you coveted them for yourself. Your death will be as painful and as drawn out as I can make it.”

The one holding Loki’s hair let go and his head fell forward.

“We’ll never give up,” Stark yelled. “We’re all kinds of stubborn. We’ll come back and kick your ass!”

“You think so?” Thanos asked.

“We’ve killed you twice in our reality,” Tony said.

“It will be a pleasure to kill you for a third,” added Thor.

“You will never have the chance,” Thanos said. “I have achieved my goal. The Infinity Stones are mine and with a snap of my fingers, you will all be dust.” Thanos chuckled, “I win.”

Loki grinned when he heard the metal of the Gauntlet clink together as Thanos snapped his fingers. Loki came to his feet and savored the look of confusion on the Titan’s face when nothing happened. Thanos inspected the glowing jewels in the Gauntlet and snapped his fingers again. Still nothing happened.

Loki brushed off the dust that the two creatures holding him had been reduced to. Though his vision had not changed, he knew his eyes currently glowed with the power of the Stones and his voice echoed when he next spoke, “What’s the matter Thanos?” He gestured to the Stones he could feel hovering around him. “Lose something?”

Shock, then rage twisted the Titan’s features. “What have you done?” he bellowed.

Loki made a small gesture and the creatures holding the others captive disintegrated. The Infinity Stones that _appeared_ to be in Thanos’s Gauntlet disappeared too. Loki shrugged nonchalantly, “I haven’t done anything.”

The sounds of battle echoed around them. Loki glanced behind him to see the two forces still clashing. It was beyond time for this to end.

“Loki!” Thor cried.

Loki turned back to see Thanos striking out at him. Loki held up a finger, freezing the Titan in place. “Hold that thought.”

“What about the _Star Trek_ extra?” Stark asked, gesturing towards Gamora.

Loki inspected the Zehoberei. The woman appeared conflicted on what she should do next. “You’re free,” Loki said, “of Thanos at least. The death of your sister,” Gamora flinched, “will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Gamora’s eyes tracked back and forth between them all. Her gaze returned to the creature she had called _father_ for years before turning and fleeing.

“You’re just going to let her go?” Stark asked.

Loki shrugged, “In our reality, Gamora had managed to break away from Thanos and actually do some good. I think if given the chance, she can change here as well.” He started away from them.

Younger Thor grabbed his arm as Loki moved to return to the battlefield. “You’re the vessel?” he asked incredulously.

“I am,” Loki said. “You don’t need to worry. I’m fine and Infinity won’t take Loki without his permission.”

“This is different from last time,” Thor said, “Infinity isn’t in control.”

Loki held up a hand and inspected it. There was a faintly glowing aura surrounding him. “It did put me to sleep last time, didn’t it?”

_May we speak?_ Infinity asked.

_Uh… sure._

“When we last took your brother as our vessel he was battle weary and overcome with grief,” Infinity explained. “At that time, we felt it best he sleep.”

Loki shivered, “That is such a strange sensation,” he said. “Now how about we take care of,” he waved a hand at the chaos that was the battlefield, “that?”

“How?” Stark asked.

“I was thinking the same way he was going to.”

“You can’t do this!” Thanos roared.

Younger Loki rolled his eyes and snapped his own fingers, “Shut up.”

Loki stepped onto the battlefield once again. Among all of the fighting that was still going on, an explosion in the air drew his attention. He spotted an F-18 that had been struck, one of the wings breaking off as it began to spiral towards the ground. Loki darted forward, his feet leaving the ground and he stopped the craft midair. He wasn’t quite sure who was more surprised by this, him or the pilot.

Loki carefully guided the aircraft to the ground and in doing so realized he was hovering several hundred feet above the field. He twisted around to where Thanos’s forces had landed and with a flick of his wrist willed them away. Bit by bit, the Titan’s forces became nothing more than dust in the wind.

Loki continued to hover there for a time, scanning the destruction that had been wrought over the battlefield. A number of aircraft had been lost, to include a few of the helicarriers, which had crashed to the ground. The air was filled with smoke and this high up it caught in Loki’s lungs.

_Can you fix this?_ he asked.

_Our power is yours to wield beloved,_ came the reply, _do with it as you see fit._

_What?_ In all honestly, Loki hadn’t been expecting to be in control once Infinity took him as its vessel once again. He had expected the entity to do what it had done in his reality. _How?_

_However you wish._

Okay, that wasn’t exactly helpful. “However he wished” wasn’t as informative as he would have liked. Maybe it wasn’t so much _how_ he wished what it was he wanted but _what_ it was he wanted. What did he want? Well, he definitely wanted to keep this flying thing. He had flown in the form of birds before but never in his natural form. (Loki would always think of his Ǽsir form as his natural form.) He could _totally_ understand why Thor loved it so much, Tony too. Why had Loki never used his suits flight capability?

Loki mentally shook himself. _What_ did he want? He wanted Thanos’s forces gone. That had already been taken care of as the last of the Chitauri and Outriders turned into ash. He tipped his head up and somehow he knew that it wasn’t only the forces Thanos had brought with him this time that were gone, but _all_ of his forces.

What else did Loki desire? The smoke started to clear, revealing a blue sky with the sun shining down upon the battlefield. As the sunlight radiated down upon the earth, the ground began to repair itself. Not only that but those who had lost their lives were beginning to stand, the injured healed. All of the destruction that had been caused over the past few hours slowly disappeared, as though it had never come into being.

Loki could see the warriors below gradually come to realize that not only was the battle over but that they had won and all of the lives that had been lost were returned.

That realization hit Loki now. They had _won_. He hadn’t broken his promise to Morgan. The thought of his niece caused him to grin. Once they returned to Asgard he planned on scooping the little girl up and never let her go. He didn’t care what he had to promise when he groveled his way back into her good graces. Morgan could have anything she wanted.

Loki could make out excited celebrations along with some of the warriors looking up at him and pointing. Loki felt his cheeks flame and was glad that he was high enough in the air that it would probably not be seen. Which actually brought another problem into focus.

_How do I get down?_

Infinity laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I could only have one superpower, it would definitely be flight. 
> 
> I decided to end the chapter here for pretty much one reason only, length. I thought it better to put the aftermath in chapter 15 so I didn't detract from the reunions.
> 
> I feel like some of the characters ended up as plot-holes and that I should have used them more but then again, I didn't want to have things going in fifty different directions, if you know what I mean. I think that if I had written in the actions of our Avengers along with more of the Black Order things would have gotten way too complicated and the story would have just died and I did _not_ want that. The same with all of the different armies I brought together. You know they're there and fighting and that's all you really need to know.
> 
> I won't post chapter 15 this Saturday, especially since there is no way I'll get it done in less than a day so see you next week.


	15. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanos gets what's coming to him. Loki reunites with Morgan, younger Loki has doubts and Odin tries his best to alleviate his fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this a little later than normal. I finished this around midnight and I wanted to read it over one more time before posting. It's a good thing I did.
> 
> I was quite busy this week and had very little time to write. Of which, given the direction this chapter went, I may need to add another one. We'll see. 
> 
> Little bit of headcanon, Loki has a sweet tooth.

**_Fifteen_ **

Once Loki figured out how to return to the ground (he needed to work on the landing) he made his way back to where he had left Thanos frozen. The look of rage on the Titan’s face would have frightened Loki had it not been made to look ridiculous with the way he was still suspended.

“You’ve lost Thanos,” Loki said. “I have destroyed your forces and taken the Stones from you. Your ‘dream’ will never come to fruition.” Loki waited for Thanos to rail against his words but the Titan remained silent.

“Oh,” younger Loki said. He made a vague hand gesture, “That’s uh… That was me.”

With another gesture, the lock the younger had on Thanos’s voice lifted. The Titan growled, “I will tear you apart.”

Loki raised an eyebrow and held his arms out slightly. “Are you blind? Look at me Thanos. The Stones came to _me_ ; they’ll never listen to you again. As a matter of fact, they _hate_ you.”

“I don’t know what you have done to corrupt them Trickster, but I—”

Infinity interrupted him. “Will you get over yourself? We have despised you from the moment you thought to use us to destroy the universe,” the entity said. “Time and time again we have watched you covet us and use our power to bring about unmitigated destruction. We have watched you harm our beloved, both physically and mentally, and we are _done!_ No longer will we _ever_ allow you to obtain our power.”

Younger Thor’s eyebrows shot up, “Beloved?”

Younger Loki winced and his cheeks darkened. “Do you have any idea how weird it is to have you use that term while wearing my face?” he asked Infinity.

“I don’t think it does,” Loki said, as Infinity “turned away” from Thanos and gave him control once more.

_Apologies beloved,_ Infinity said, _we should not have taken control like that but we had to say our peace._

_It’s all right,_ Loki replied, _I understand._

“If you had any actual knowledge of the Stones you would have known about Infinity and…” he trailed off. A chill suddenly ran through him. Thanos _had_ done his research. He would have had to, to know the kind of power the Stones possessed along with the knowledge that he wouldn’t have been able to wield them without the Gauntlet. Not on his own.

“Loki?” his brother asked.

“You knew,” he said to the Titan. “You knew about the vessel.”

Loki saw realization cross younger Loki’s face. “You knew what I was,” younger Loki said, “that’s why you placed the Mind Stone in the scepter. The only way you could get it to work on me was to corrupt it first.”

It would explain Loki’s constant draw to the Tesseract. The Aether too, though at the time Loki had been too overcome with grief to have paid any attention to it.

With a flick of his wrist, Thanos was shoved back to sit against a bolder that had risen from the ground. Loki heard the sound of several others making their way towards them. He turned just long enough to see Odin, Fury and a gaggle of Avengers enter their small clearing. He received several looks of shock from those of this reality, including Odin.

Younger Loki continued, “That’s why you wanted to control me so badly. If my mind was twisted enough to really fall in line and do your bidding, you never would have needed the Gauntlet.”

Loki agreed, to a point. “He never would have allowed Infinity to take you and he still would have had the Gauntlet forged.” He returned his gaze to the Titan. “You would have used him as a draw for the Stones, but you wouldn’t have trusted Loki with them even if you had managed to completely brainwash him. There was no guarantee that Infinity wouldn’t have freed him.”

Thanos remained silent for a moment longer before seeming to decide there was no point in denying it. “It was quite a surprise to have the Infinity Vessel literally fall into my grasp,” Thanos said. “It only confirmed the truth, that my mission was divine. The universe itself is begging to be brought into balance. You may have won this battle but you’ll see, one way or another, balance will be achieved and I will be the one to bring it.”

“You’re insane,” Rogers said.

“He is known as the ‘Mad Titan’,” Odin said. “Thanos has lived far longer than his species was ever meant to. He lost his mind long ago.”

Thanos’s eyes fell on the All-Father. “More than once you have taken that which is rightfully mine. First you take my Lady Death, then you hide the Tesseract among these…” Thanos sneered, “ _creatures,_ and finally banish me to the outer edges of the universe.” The expression which now crossed Thanos’s face sent a shiver down Loki’s spine. “When the universe handed your son to me, not only did I learn that you had taken my vessel but I could twist him to my own ends. What better revenge than having your own child tear down all that you had built? To have your son be the means by which balance is attained.”

“You have never cared about ‘ _balance_ ’,” Odin said. “It has always been about the pleasure you derive from the slaughter.”

“The universe will die if there is not balance!” yelled Thanos.

Loki rolled his eyes but knew no one would have seen the gesture with his eyes glowing the way they were. “Wipe out half of all life to lessen the use of resources. That was your so-called ‘plan’.”

_It would never work,_ Infinity told him. _As we told the Thanos of your reality, the populations would grow once more. The problem he claims to correct would return as more are born. He would continue to repeat the cycle of death until there was nothing left._

Loki felt the younger move to stand beside him. Younger Loki shook with a combination of rage and fear. Loki felt the same emotions, especially when he let himself think of just how much more destruction could have been caused had Thanos succeeded in controlling him completely. Thanos could have possibly set himself up as a god.

“You will never be a god,” Loki said, echoing what he had told the Titan while Thanos was strangling the life from him. “Even if you had completely possessed the Stones’ power, it would not make you a god.” He smirked, relishing what he was about to say. “ _I_ am a god.”

Thanos shook his head and began to laugh. “A god? And yet I still broke you. I made you _mine._ You will always _be_ mine _._ You have lost your way, my son. I took what Odin had thrown away and while I had to break you, I built you back up into something more. You can try and deny it all you like but you are a Child of Thanos. Everything you are now is because of me.”

Younger Loki shook his head, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “ _Never,_ ” he growled. The aura that surrounded Loki spread to encompass the younger. Younger Loki’s eyes began to swirl with the colors of the Stones.

_Huh, so that’s what I look like,_ Loki thought.

“I refuse to be defined by _you!_ ” younger Loki yelled.

“You are nothing without me. I gave you a glorious purpose. You can have it back. You can return to your family. All you need to do is set me free.”

“I have a family.”

Thanos laughed again. “Who? Odin? Your so-called ‘brother’? You know they don’t really care about you. You are nothing but a tool to them, to be used and discarded however they see fit.”

“You lie!” exclaimed younger Thor.

“Do I?” asked Thanos. “Did you come to rescue your brother?” he asked the Thunder. “Did you not leave him to suffer through unimaginable pain?” The Titan turned his gaze to Odin. “You believed the worst of him when he reappeared on this world, did you not? You sent one ‘brother’ to kill the other. Better to destroy that which you see as nothing but a disappointment or hide it away so no one can see your shame.” His eyes found the younger Loki again. “That is the fate Odin plans for you, death or imprisonment in the deepest, darkest hole he can find then deny you had ever existed.”

At one time, Loki would have believed the Titan’s words, especially considering that in his reality Odin _had_ locked him away. However it had not been for the reasons Thanos had given. It had been for Loki’s protection and after several long talks with his father, he was grateful Odin had done what he did.

Younger Loki was shaking his head. “I’m not yours,” he repeated.

“Fine, but you are no longer Odin’s either. You know how ashamed he is to have fathered you. That is why he disowned you.”

“Be silent!” Odin barked, swinging Gungnir around until the tip of the spear was pressed against Thanos’s throat. “I have made many mistakes where Loki is concerned, this is true, but I have _never_ disowned him. I will not let you destroy my son with your poisonous words. I will not allow you to corrupt him the way you did Hela. I was blind with my daughter, I refuse to be the same with my son.”

“Pretending to care now changes nothing.” Thanos acted as through Odin did not have a weapon pressed against his neck. “You can kill them all,” Thanos said to younger Loki. “Drink in the dying screams of the father and brother who tossed you into the abyss, of the witch queen who rejoiced at the thought of your death. You know she would have drowned you at birth if she’d been allowed. You can slaughter her like the bitch she is. ”

Tony winced, “Oh pal, wrong thing to say.”

Thanos ignored Tony’s words. “We can torture her slowly, break her bones, flay her skin—”

A look of pure rage crossed younger Loki’s face, “I’ll never let you touch my mother!” He rushed Thanos, his hand seemed to go through the Titan, and when he pulled back a black orb sat in his palm. Thanos let out a choked sound, his wide eyes staring at younger Loki in disbelief.

“What is that?” Fury asked.

Loki met his counterpart’s eyes and lay his hand over the orb as well. Together they squeezed and Thanos let out more strangled noises. When the orb had shrunk enough, Loki let go and allowed the younger to finish crushing the orb.

“What are you…” Thanos choked, “stop…”

“It’s his soul,” Loki said, answering Fury’s question. “At least, what passes for one that is.”

With one last bone chilling crack, the orb shattered. Thanos’s pupils blew wide and he let out one last gurgle, blood escaping from between his lips, then became still. The Titan went limp against the bolder.

Odin lowered Gungnir and everyone turned to look at the younger Loki in stunned silence. After a moment, Barton asked, “The hell did you just do?”

The aura around younger Loki vanished and he appeared surprised at what had just occurred. “I don’t… I don’t know...”

_A moment please?_ Infinity asked.

Loki mentality shrugged, _sure._

“You have destroyed that which has given you and countless others nightmares,” Infinity said. “A body cannot exist without a soul nor can it ever be resurrected or reborn. The black orb you pulled from the Titan is what passed for his soul. By annihilating it you have ensured he can never return to threaten this universe again.”

“I killed Thanos?”

Infinity nodded, “Yes and in doing so you have saved an untold number of lives.”

Younger Thor clapped his brother on the shoulder then wrapped his arm around him. “You are a hero!” he proclaimed.

The younger blushed, “I’m really not…” he muttered. Louder he asked, “What about the Midgardians Thanos killed when he was here last? Can you bring them back too? Can you repair the damage we caused here?”

Infinity tipped its head to the side and Loki could feel its confusion. “You blame yourself for what has happened here?” Infinity asked.

“I led Thanos here.”

“No, you didn’t. Thanos would have come on his own at some point. We know you have been told this already. We do not understand why you still feel guilt for events you could not have prevented.”

_It’s hard to explain,_ Loki told Infinity. _It is how he feels right now and all that anyone can do is reassure him but it will take Loki some time to really come to terms with all that has happened. He just needs time._

_We do not like it,_ Infinity replied.

_I felt the same way once,_ Loki reminded it. _Can you do it though, like you did with Asgard? Will you bring them back?_

_The deaths Thanos caused on this world happened differently in this reality than they did in yours. When Thanos used us in your world, those who were taken did not die, they ceased to exist. Our restoral of them was simply recreating their souls. The dead here have spent the last several months in their own respective heavens. Some may not wish to return, however as with the people of Asgard we will ask._

_Thank you._

_Would you care to do the honors?_

_I wouldn’t have a clue how to do that! I barely figured out how to land!_

Infinity laughed, _we are only jesting beloved. May we have control?_

_Go for it._

The Soul Stone broke away from the other Stones, coming to hover before them all. Infinity stretched its arms wide and the aura that surrounded it changed to match the color of Soul. The air shifted, wind billowing out as a burst of burnt orange shot towards the atmosphere. It hit a seemingly invisible barrier then spread to encompass the Earth.

“What the hell is he doing?” Fury yelled over the sound of the wind.

“Loki?” one of the Thor’s asked.

“He’s doing something with the Soul Stone,” Tony or Stark said.

“ _What_ is he doing with it?” Fury reiterated.

Younger Loki gasped, “Everyone Thanos killed. Infinity is bringing them back.”

Eventually the aura faded and the wind died down. Loki closed his eyes and felt Infinity recede. The six Stones hovered in front of him for a moment then settled gently in his upturned hands. They pulsed once and Loki had the sense of satisfaction. He had a moment of dizziness but it disappeared quickly. His brother placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright Merlin?” Tony asked, his expression of concern matched by Thor’s.

Loki nodded. “Tired,” he admitted. It wasn’t surprising, between the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days, the battle against Thanos’s forces and allowing Infinity to use his body, Loki was most likely going to sleep for a long time. His eyes became heavy at the thought of a nice comfortable bed.

“There is much that will need to be done,” Odin said, “but it will keep. For now, I believe it is time everyone returned home.

* * *

It ended up being a few more hours before the Bifröst spirited them back to Asgard. It was as Odin had said, there was much to take care of now that the threat posed by Thanos was gone. Infinity had brought back all of the lives Thanos had taken both during and after the Battle of New York. Those who wanted to return, at least.

Loki followed the forces of Asgard as they returned. In one of the discussions with Fury, Odin had offered assistance to the people of Midgard as they recovered from all that had happened. Asgard had ignored Midgard for far too long and while they would never rule over the people, Asgard would provide any aid Midgard required.

Though the hour was late, the Asgardians were still very much awake and they cheered the returning forces. By Loki’s guess, Heimdall had been keeping the people appraised of the happenings on Midgard.

Loki heard the children before he saw them. Cooper and Lila ran to their father with excited screams. Stark embraced his Pepper and Loki lost sight of his Tony and Pepper. They must have gone to reunite with Morgan. As much as Loki wanted to go to her, her parents deserved to reunite with her before he did.

With a sigh Loki tried to silently enter the palace. He could always teleport but that would take up what little energy he had left.

“Merlin,” Tony called, “hold up!”

Loki stopped and turned to see what he needed. His knees seemed to suddenly give out on him and he slipped to the ground when he heard, “Ki!”

Morgan barreled into him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. She buried her face against his neck and Loki managed to stand, squeezing her tight. “I told you I would find my way back.”

“I was scared Ki,” Morgan said. “Miss Figga said not to be but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want you to fight the Bad Man alone. I wanted to help.”

“I know you did,” replied Loki. He closed his eyes and savored having her back in his arms. When he had awoken that morning he truly had feared that he would break his promise to her. It had killed him to think he may not have survived to see her again.

Loki felt a hand wrap around his knee and he frowned. He opened his eyes and looked around. Where was everybody?

“You’re going to have to work on that, aren’t you?” Thor asked.

Absolutely confused now, because Thor’s voice have come from _below_ him, Loki looked down and realized he was hovering several feet above the ground.

Morgan sat back and a look of awe crossed her face, “You can fly Ki?” She narrowed her eyes at him, “Have you been holdin’ out on me?”

“Uh no,” Loki said, holding her just a little bit tighter, “this is actually quite new.”

Morgan folded her arms. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He turned his head to look down at his brother. _Help_ , he mouthed.

Thor chuckled and tugged on Loki’s leg until his feet returned to the ground.

Morgan hugged him again then gasped. She looked around at the people gathered in their area. “Where’s Ki?”

“He’s over there,” Thor said and pointed to where their younger counterparts were reuniting with their mother.

Younger Loki appeared just as tired as Loki felt but also a bit apprehensive about being back in Asgard. Loki knew the younger was waiting to be called out as a traitor to the Realm Eternal and have the people demand that he be led away in chains.

Morgan took a deep breath, then yelled, “Ki!”

Several heads turned in their direction at her exclamation. Loki made his way over towards where younger Loki was. Morgan reached for him once they were close enough.

Frigga smiled affectionately at them. “She has been quite worried about you. It has been a rough few days.”

Morgan had somehow managed to grab one of younger Loki’s arms and hug it while still being held by Loki. The position was quite awkward. “I need my arm back honey,” younger Loki said.

Morgan shook her head. “No.”

“Morgan,” Loki started.

“Miss Figga,” Morgan said, “I wanna keep my two Ki’s with me. Can I do that?”

“I think that can be arranged,” Frigga said.

Loki pressed a kiss to her temple. “Don’t you want to stay with your mommy and daddy?”

Morgan shook her head and wrapped one arm around his neck while still managing to hold the younger’s arm too. “I want you an’ Ki. Mommy and daddy were always here ‘cause of the magic orb thingy. You two…” Her fingers played with the hair at the back of his head, “I was scared you would go away forever. I was scared you’d die. I didn’t want you to die.”

Loki winced at the same time younger Loki did. The possibly of death had been almost a near certainty at several points during the battle. Even before it had started, they had taken the chance that Thanos wouldn’t simply attack from orbit. Then there was what happened with Maw. Loki had to resist rubbing at his neck.

“We are sorry for worrying you so,” younger Loki said, managing to wriggle enough of his arm back so that Morgan was only holding his hand. “Can you forgive us?”

Morgan was silent while she seemed to think about it. “Mommy said you were mad at us,” Loki said.

“I’m not mad,” Morgan mumbled.

“Are you sure?” Younger Loki asked. “We don’t want you to be mad at us.” He leaned over until he was within Morgan’s line of sight and gave her the most pathetic expression he could. “Please don’t be mad at us. We’ll do _anything._ ”

“Anything?” Morgan asked.

“Within reason,” Loki replied.

“But Ki said ‘anything’.”

“What are you thinking?” the younger asked.

Morgan finally sat back up. “You gotta take me flying.”

“Well you’re going to have to wait for a little bit on that,” Loki told her. When she frowned at him, he said, “I need time to practice.”

“Okay,” Morgan said dramatically.

“I don’t think you want to crash, do you?”

“No, that wouldn’t be fun.”

Loki smiled and gave her another kiss. “I promise, once I know what I’m doing I will take you flying.”

“Okay, and stories. Lots and lots of stories.”

“I always tell you stories but I suppose I could make up some new ones.”

“She’s going to hold you to that,” Tony said.

“I don’t doubt it,” Loki said.

“You gotta come live with me now.”

Loki exchanged a look with Tony and Pepper. “We might have to negotiate on that one,” Tony said.

“Ki said I could have anything. If Ki can’t live with us then I’m gonna go live with Ki.”

“You’re going to regret telling her she could have anything,” Pepper said. “You can’t move in with Loki,” Pepper told her daughter, “but maybe we can arrange for you to stay with Thor and him for a week or two.”

“Anything,” Morgan repeated in a loud whisper.

“Why do you want Loki to live with you?” Odin asked.

“Someone’s gotta keep my Ki’s outta trouble.”

“Hey!” both Loki and the younger cried. Everyone else laughed.

* * *

Loki wandered around his rooms, surprised to find the state they were in. He had managed to break away from Morgan, only on the promise that he return, (she wasn’t backing down from wanting both him and the elder) and had silently made his way to rooms he expected to have been cleared out.

Much to his astonishment, his rooms appeared as though he had never left. His desk was still a mess, (organized chaos he liked to think) one of his capes was draped over the chaise lounge and his ceremonial armor stood displayed in the corner. His bed had been neatly remade. Loki couldn’t remember ever bothering to make it in the days before his fall. He honestly couldn’t remember if he had even slept. The images of the cosmos that were projected onto his ceiling were quickly dispelled. He needed no reminders of the Void.

Loki slowly made his way around the room. He ran his fingers along the spines of several books on the shelves. There wasn’t a single speck of dust anywhere. His “to read” pile was still massive and waiting for him. Several of those books he had taken from the library. Had the bookkeeper not bothered to ask for them back?

His eyes continued to drift around his room. His chest tightened the more he looked and he took deep controlled breaths to keep himself calm. His gaze finally landed on the small table beside his bed. Stepping up to it, Loki finally sat on the edge of his bed.

On the table was one of his favorite books and beside that was the small bowl his mother had gifted to him centuries ago. It was one he kept his favorite candies in. The bowl had been near empty the last he saw it but no longer. Someone had replenished his candy supply.

Tentatively reaching out, Loki took a piece of the hard candy. He held it between his fingers for a moment, feeling the small bumps press into his skin before finally placing the treat in his mouth. The burst of flavor on his tongue actually brought tears to his eyes.

Memories sprung forth of many afternoons where he and his mother had sat in her garden reading and conversing while sharing the candies. It had become a game of theirs to hide the candies from his father and brother then occasionally brag about eating them.

He remembered his mother teaching Thor and him how to make the candy. She had taught them much and not all of it were lessons a member of the royal house needed to know. Those lessons had usually come when the brothers had felt overwhelmed by their station.

One memory in particular suddenly came to him. The three of them, his mother, Thor and him, were in the kitchens and she was helping the boys with making sure they didn’t burn the sugar mixture. Loki and Thor were each going to make their favorite flavor.

Thor enjoyed black licorice for some reason while Loki planned on making his candy orange flavored, since they didn’t have any strawberries. A fresh shipment of the fruit had arrived in the city from the farmlands and several cases delivered to the palace. His mother had helped Loki squeeze the juice from several oranges for his candy.

Once the sugar mixture had reached the right temperature, they each quickly added their flavor and coloring. After pouring the mixture into the molds, with some help from their mother, they waited for them to harden so the candies could be tossed in powdered sugar. The boys had been so caught up in watching the treats harden that neither of them had seen their father enter the kitchen.

Loki could still recall the moment of fright he and Thor had felt once they had spotted Odin. They were _supposed_ to be in lessons on the history of trade between Realms but were instead “playing hooky”. Both of them had expected a harsh reprimand.

To their surprise, their father had praised their candy making ability and once the candies had hardened, helped them to coat their treats with sugar. For some reason more powdered sugar ended up on them than on the candies.

It had been a happy memory and Loki was glad to have it back. He hated that he could still recall what The Other had twisted Loki’s good memories into. If he never recalled the twisted memories again, it would be too soon.

At the soft knock at his door, Loki frantically rubbed at his eyes. He stood and cast a quick glamour over himself, lest anyone see his moment of weakness. “Enter,” he called.

The door opened to reveal his father and Loki’s stomach dropped to the floor while his heart leapt into his throat.

“Am I interrupting?” his father asked.

“No,” Loki replied once he could find his voice.

“Good. I’ve only come too see if you were getting settled. Your mother and I weren’t quite sure you would want to stay in here but then we could think of no other place you would rather be.”

Loki couldn’t either, to be honest but he wasn’t sure if he deserved to be here. He may have helped to defeat Thanos but he had still committed heinous crimes. Shouldn’t he be taking up residence in the dungeons?

“Why am I here?” he asked. His voice sounded small to his ears.

His father appeared confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Why am I not… Why am I free? Why haven’t I been locked away?”

“Do you want to be locked away?”

“What? No but it… it’s what I deserve, isn’t it?”

His father sighed and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. He made his way over to the bed and sat, gesturing for Loki to do the same. “Had your actions been of your own free will, then yes, the dungeons are where you would deserve to be. However, they were not. You may think you had a say in your actions and I suppose to an extent, you did, but having spent as much time as Thanos’s prisoner as you did… Loki, I cannot blame you for what happened. That you survived long enough to be sent to Midgard is a miracle.”

“But don’t I deserve _some_ form of punishment? It doesn’t seem right that those I harmed receive no retribution.”

Odin sighed again. “I was not planning on having this conversation now. I was hoping to wait until you had rested but if you insist.” He turned so he could face Loki fully. “Oh,” he said as his single eye fell on something behind Loki, “you found the candies, I see. I hope they turned out all right. Was there enough flavor?”

Loki blinked at his father. He looked at the candy then back to Odin. “What?”

“Your candies. I was afraid I did not put enough flavoring in them.”

Loki felt as though his brain had short circuited. He was fairly certain one of his eyes twitched. “What?” he asked again.

“Did I make the wrong flavor? Strawberry is your favorite, correct? I ended up making orange and lemon too. Well, your mother made the lemon. She helped the children make candies too. It was a nice way to keep them occupied.”

Loki heard what his father was saying but for some reason it didn’t want to actually register. “You made my favorite candy?”

Color darkened his father’s cheeks slightly. “Your mother and I wanted you to have something familiar waiting for you. We knew you would want some solitude and while neither of us believe you should be alone, we thought having something small would give you comfort until you were ready to be around people again.”

Loki looked back at the small dish and felt his eyes water once again. He fought hard to keep himself from crying but it was a futile effort. His shoulders shook as he quietly wept. “I’m sorry,” he said. He rubbed the tears from his eyes only to have them promptly be replaced by fresh ones.

His father raised a tentative hand before gently placing it on Loki’s back. “You’ve nothing to apologize for.”

“But I do,” Loki argued, standing from the bed, “all of this is my fault! If I hadn’t ruined Thor’s coronation we never would have gone to Jötunheim and I never would have learned that I was a monster and I—”

“You are _not_ a monster!” Odin bellowed. He stood as well and gripped Loki by his shoulders. “Listen to me, you are not a monster. Say it.”

“I… I’m not… but how? How can I be anything _but_ a monster? Everywhere I go I bring nothing but death and destruction.” Loki looked down at his hands and through his blurred vision he swore they were covered in blood. He clenched his hands, “I _should_ be locked away. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe. I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”

His father’s calloused hands gently wiped at his tears. “Loki, listen to me. Don’t argue, just listen. You are not a monster, you were not born evil. You have done some terrible things, this is true, but those actions do not define you as a whole.”

“How can they not?”

Frustration briefly flashed across his father’s face. He stepped over to Loki’s closet and Loki watched his father rummage around for a moment. When Odin stepped back he had Loki’s sleep clothes in his hands. “Change,” Odin said, “then meet me in the hall. I want to show you something.”

Loki took the clothing from his father’s hands and watched him leave the room. There was a moment of indecision, should he do as his father said or should he run as fast and far as possible? The urge to run away from everything, to hide, was nearly overwhelming. Loki stamped it down though. He’d promised Morgan that he would return and he did not want to break that promise. In the short time he had known the little girl, she had wormed her way into his blackened heart.

Deciding it would be less stressful to simply comply, Loki changed then met his father outside. He quietly followed his father through the halls and became even more confused when he found himself in the throne room. “I don’t understand.”

Odin gestured to the mural above them. “What do you see?”

Loki raised his eyes to the mural. He saw a small portion of Asgard’s history, much of it not much older than the war with Jötunheim. It was a set of images he’d seen many times. He even remembered the artisans working on it for decades. He lowered his gaze and shrugged, “Asgard’s history, some of it at least. They depict the treaties between the Realms… I still don’t understand.”

“I know you are not a monster Loki because I have seen what true monsters look like. I was once one myself, although at the time all of the Realms were at war. I was much younger and my ambitions greater. I thought to unite the Realms but I never truly thought about what the price of doing so was. I didn’t appreciate the cost until it was too late.”

His father once more motioned to the mural. With a gesture, the mural changed, revealing a new scene. The peaceful colors turned into the color of blood. The center of the mural depicted his father with a great horned helm and all around that, images of violence, blood and death. A woman in black with a helm that matched Odin’s and wielding Mjölnir was always at his side.

_That must be Hela,_ Loki thought.

Loki studied the mural. He realized he was looking at Asgard’s true past. The Realms hadn’t been brought together through treaties, they had been brought together through conquest.

His father pointed to the woman. “That is Hela, my first born. Her mother died in childbirth and I raised her during a time of conflict. All of the Realms were warring with one another and I thought it best to raise Hela as a warrior and nothing else. It wasn’t until shortly after I met your mother that I began to realize what a mistake that was.

“I failed Hela and it wasn’t until it was far too late that I realized had raised a monster whose only ambition was to continue the war until there was nothing left. Hela became the Goddess of Death and it was that, that drew Thanos to her.

“I did not know about Thanos until he and Hela had destroyed Titan.” Odin lowered his eye. “The Titan’s did not wipe themselves out, Thanos and Hela murdered them all for no other reason than it was fun.

“I had told myself I did not make war for pleasure, I had a purpose. I realized then what I had become and what I had created and I was sickened by it. I knew if I did not lock Hela away she would have continued until there was nothing left. I couldn’t kill her and so I banished her to Helheim.

“I was ashamed of what I had done so I rewrote Asgard’s history. I removed all references to Hela and the way Asgard was built but I kept this as my own reminder.

“I was a monster once and perhaps you preformed monstrous acts for a short time but it is not who you really are,” he stepped closer and placed his hand over Loki’s heart, “here. You are a good person Loki and I am proud to have you for a son.”

Loki studied the mural until the images returned to what they were before. He let himself think about his father’s words. He wished they changed anything but Loki still had a hard time seeing himself as anything but an evil creature, one who deserved to be tossed back into the darkness he had been born in.

“I wish I could believe you,” Loki finally said. “I _want_ to believe you but I just… I can’t right now.”

“Then I, your mother and everyone who cares for you will continually remind you until you can believe it.”

Loki felt tears threaten again. He hated how weak he was. He may have been told by elder Loki, his mother and several others that he wasn’t weak but in his heart he just couldn’t believe it. Much like he couldn’t see himself as anything but a monster. He wished he could at the very least stop crying.

Loki figured he would twist the proverbial knife just a little more, “but why?”

Odin stepped closer and laid a hand on Loki’s shoulder, “Because we care about you. We love you and we hate to see you in such pain.”

Loki pulled away, bringing his hands up and gripping his hair in frustration. “Why do you care? Why does _anyone_ care? I’m not… I’m not worth _anything!_ The only thing I’m good at is destroying things. Why in the Hel would anyone want me around? I… I tried to kill Thor, I tried to kill _you_! I wanted to, a part of me still wants to and I hate it. I hate myself! Why? Why won’t you just have me executed? You would be— It would be justice. I deserve it, I deserve to die!”

“Loki,” Odin shook his head and there was fear in his eye, “no, you don’t.”

“Yes I do! You don’t understand! This darkness, it’s _in_ me and I can’t,” Loki’s fingers dug into his arms and he would have broken skin had it not been for his tunic, “I can’t get it _out._ ” His father gently, but firmly, pulled his hands from his arms. The fear was still in Odin’s eye. “Even you fear me,” Loki said weakly.

“I do not fear you Loki, I’m frightened _for_ you.” 

“I wish you would just _listen._ ”

“I am listening but I don’t have to accept anything you say. You have been through a terrible ordeal Loki, one that would have completely broken other men. You are, perhaps fractured, but not completely broken. You _can_ heal but you have to give yourself time.”

Loki tried to argue further. Tried to convince his father that he was a lost cause and that he should be put to the axe. He was never given the chance as what his father said next actually made Loki stop and _think._

“Look at Loki, he has been through nearly the exact same experiences as you have. He has overcome the same insecurities you are feeling right now. You cannot tell me that he is unloved, that nobody cares for him. Our realities are nearly exactly the same, in seeing how his _family_ fought not just to get him home but to come _here_ to fight Thanos _again_ to make sure you were _both_ safe, how can you tell me that you are forever lost?”

The problem was that Loki _had_ seen it but he had told himself it was all a lie. He’d tried so hard to convince himself that any affection he has seen towards him was all due to the other Loki. People cared about _him,_ not him. The affection he had seen in the other Thor’s eyes had been due to his brother, not because there was anything worthwhile in Loki. Ugh, now his head hurt from trying to separate the two of them in his mind.

“That’s different,” Loki tried. The argument sounded weak even to his own ears.

“How?”

“Because he isn’t a monster.”

Odin’s answering smile threw Loki for a loop. “Exactly,” Odin said, “and at one point you and he were one in the same. If he can come back from all that Thanos and his ilk had done to him and the things Loki had to do in order to _survive_ then why can’t you?”

Loki’s silver tongue was failing him. He could think of no argument to refute his father’s words. He wanted to, he wanted some argument to completely contradict everything his father had said but he… couldn’t. He could detect no lie in anything his father had said and that somehow made it worse.

His father laid a hand on his shoulder and Loki found himself taking comfort in it. “Come,” Odin said, “you are exhausted and in no condition to continue arguing with me.”

They left the throne room and returned to the royal family’s wing. When Loki made to return to his room his father stopped him once again. “I don’t think it would be wise for you to be alone tonight,” his father said as he coaxed Loki to another room. “You will stay with everyone else.”

“Everyone else” ended up being just about literally _everyone else_. Several sleeping mats had been set up all near one another. The Barton’s along with their children were all snuggled together on one bed. Stark and his mistress were conversing quietly with the older version of themselves, his brother was listening intently to something his elder was telling him and…

“Ki, over here.”

Loki’s eyes fell to the veritable _nest_ that had been assembled. Morgan sat in the center of it while his mother sat just off to the side. It wasn’t until he moved closer that he realized she was running her fingers through older Loki’s hair.

Morgan pressed a finger to her lips, “We gotta be quiet, Ki’s sleeping.” She pat the spot on the other side of her. “You’re gonna sleep here.”

“I am?”

Morgan nodded, “Yep,” she pointed to her eye, “‘cause I gotta keep my eye on you an’ Ki so you don’t get into trouble anymore.” She lowered her hand and gave him a funny look. “Did someone make you sad Ki? You’ve been crying.”

Loki felt everyone’s eyes fall on him. He inwardly cursed himself for not thinking to place a new glamour over himself. Now they _all_ knew of his weakness. “It’s nothing,” Loki said.

Morgan did _not_ look convinced. She tilted her body until she was peering past him. “Do I gotta tell you too?” she asked. “I already told Pirate Santa and Miss Figga that they couldn't make my Ki sad. You should _know_ this already.”

Older Thor laughed softly at their confused expressions. “She’s like this with everyone. No one is allowed to mess with ‘her Ki’. That includes you now too.”

“Oh god,” the elder Stark groaned. “at this rate Morgan’s gonna start collecting Loki’s like other people collect trading cards. We are not about to start bouncing around the multiverse for more.”

Morgan lit up. “I can get _more_ Ki's?”

“No,” Stark replied firmly. “Two is enough.”

“I’m feeling the love Tony,” elder Loki mumbled sleepily.

“You are supposed to be sleeping,” his mother admonished gently.

“Little hard to do with all of the talking.” He snaked an arm out from beneath his blankets and wrapped it around Morgan, pulling her against him. The elder rubbed his face against Morgan’s shoulder. “This pillow is lumpy.”

Morgan giggled. “I’m not a pillow Ki.”

“Seems rather talkative for a pillow,” Loki remarked.

Elder Loki hummed and poked at Morgan’s sides, causing the little girl to giggle some more. “Wiggly too.”

“Ki,” Morgan stopped squirming and tipped her head up to press a kiss to the other Loki’s cheek although she ended up kissing part of his nose instead. Next she held out her hand towards him, “Lay down Ki. It’s sleepy time.”

“She’s right,” his mother said, “it is quite late and you have all had a trying day. It is well past time for everyone to rest.”

Loki cast his gaze about the room once more. There were not enough sleeping mats for everyone to have their own. As a matter of fact, it appeared as though nearly everyone would be sharing. The mat Morgan was sharing with elder Loki was the largest in the room. Loki had no idea where he was supposed to sleep.

Morgan once again pat the space beside her. “Come on Ki. We made a big bed so we can all sleep together. It’ll be like a…” she frowned and turned slightly towards the other Loki, “what’s it called?”

“A slumber party,” the elder replied.

“Yeah, that. It’ll be fun with you and me and Ki and T’or and T’or.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. “You expect all of us to sleep there.”

Thor clapped him on the shoulder and pushed him towards the sleeping mat. “Don’t fight it.”

Loki was quite weary of fighting and so allowed himself to be coaxed under the blankets. Morgan tugged at his sleeve until he had moved close enough that she was nearly squished between them. She did maneuver his arm so that it lay over her too. She somehow managed to give them both a kiss. “Goodnight Ki and Ki. Wuv you.”

“Love you too.”

Sleep overcame Loki rather quickly. He was slightly aware of a kiss being pressed to his head then sometime later a slight shifting of the sleeping mat as a weight came to lay behind him. An arm was draped over him and Loki didn’t feel trapped by it, instead he felt comfort. It helped ease him into pleasant dreams.

* * *

Loki knew he was dreaming from the ethereal feeling his surroundings gave him. Loki did not recognize where he was. The sky above him appeared to be in a perpetual twilight, not unlike Vormir but much less foreboding. He could hear the trickling of water but was unable to see any water source. In the distance was a forest leading up towards a mountain range. Wherever he was, was rather peaceful. It felt, in many ways, like home.

As he continued to survey his surroundings he spotted a figure slowly making its way towards him and Loki recognized the younger as he came closer.

“What is this place?” younger Loki asked.

Loki shrugged, “I don’t know.” He was slightly confused as to why he was dreaming about the younger.

“This is the plane before the beginning,” came a new voice.

Loki turned and saw a new figure, one that appeared neither male nor female, young nor old. Everything about the person was constantly shifting, hair, skin, height and age were ever changing. The only “constant” was its eyes. While its eyes didn’t glow, the irises swirled with each color of the Infinity Stones.

Dream-Loki came to the same conclusion Loki did. “Infinity?” Dream-Loki asked.

Infinity nodded, “Yes. We wished to speak with you both and felt in dream was the best way to do so.”

Loki exchanged a stunned look with the younger. “He’s not a part of my dream?” Loki asked.

Infinity laughed. The other constant was its voice, which was the same one Loki had heard in his mind many times. “Not insomuch as that he was conjured by your mind. Your bodies rest and we have brought your… essence, for lack of a better term, to this plain. No harm will come to either of you. We would not have done this were that the case.”

“What did you want to speak to us about?” younger Loki asked.

Infinity turned its swirling gaze upon Loki. “We know that in the coming days you will return to your reality while this reality continues to recover from the devastation Thanos brought.” Its expression became saddened. “We wished to apologize to you.”

“I don’t understand,” Loki said. “What are you apologizing for?”

Infinity sighed, “It was our doing that brought you here. When this reality broke away from your own we had hoped things would play out more favorably here. Unfortunately when we peered forward we saw the ending of this reality come far sooner than it was ever meant to. When you put yourself into the ether to escape the explosion caused by Doctor Foster’s machine we took that opportunity to pull you here.”

Loki felt a flash of anger, “You put Morgan in danger!”

“We _never_ would have allowed any harm to come to her. We know how much she means to you and the connection her soul shares with yours. It is another reason we brought her here too. Morgan Stark was an important part in your healing. She has yet to be born in this reality however we knew she would be an important factor in our beloved of this reality.”

Loki wasn’t quite sure how he felt about having his niece used as a pawn for Infinity yet he knew the truth of its words. Infinity would have never let Morgan come to harm.

“If you only wanted to apologize to him then why am I here?” younger Loki asked.

“Ah yes,” Infinity rubbed the back of its neck sheepishly, “that is the other thing we wished to apologize for. As we have told you, our power exists across all realities. Even though our physical representation has been destroyed in your reality, our essence remains. If it did not, your reality would not exist.”

Again, Loki shared a confused look with the younger. “Why are you apologizing about that?”

“Our power has touched you both and you both have wielded it. Even if we are not within you, our power is ever yours to wield.”

Loki felt as startled as his counterpart now looked. “Wh-what does that mean?” the younger asked.

“Our power is your power.”

“Norns above,” Loki gasped. He had been mostly joking when he’s thought about keeping the ability to fly and he’d thought it was simply a gift Infinity had bestowed on him. “Are you saying that we have access to your powers any time we wish?”

“Our power is your power,” Infinity repeated. “In many respects, our power was yours long before we came together within you. Now that we have, you can call upon us whenever you need.”

“Are you saying we never actually needed to collect the Stones? That Loki could have just called upon you from the start?”

Infinity shook its head, “No. The collection of the Stones was required as our essence was spread across the universe. We were trapped within the Stones and the only way to free us was to either destroy the Stones themselves or bring us together.”

“That makes no sense.”

Infinity laughed now, “Unfortunately there are some rules in which we are also bound. Although we came together within Loki in his reality we had not truly connected with him in this one. While we do exist across all realities we are also separate from each. It is the only way to ensure the destruction of one reality does not lead to the destruction of them all.”

That made some sense. It would be unfortunate to have their reality be destroyed due to events within another.

Loki suddenly thought of something else, “What about Hela and the Dark Elves. They’re still a threat here.”

Infinity waved a hand, “We have already taken care of them. The Dark Elves slumber forever and the lock on Hela’s cage can never be opened. We have removed the tie that binds Odin’s life force to it. When the time comes that he passes, Hela will remain sealed.”

That was good to know. This reality didn’t need to deal with her, not after Thanos.

Satisfied by that, Loki next asked, “When the time comes, will you send us home?”

“Our power is your power beloved. You have the ability to return to your reality any time you wish. We will, however, help guide you until you have mastered that skill.”

“Thank you,” Loki said, truly grateful. He suddenly remembered what Morgan had asked of him. “Before you to do that though, do you think you can help me control the flying? I… sort of offered to do anything to make up for sending her to Asgard and not following after her. She wants me to take her flying and I’d like to be able to do that and not crash on the landing.”

Infinity waved a hand again and it smiled affectionately at him, “That is an easy power to master beloved. You and the little one will be soaring through the skies in no time.”

“Stark will be _so_ thrilled,” younger Loki quipped.

Loki shrugged, “He’ll get over it. He’s already come to terms with me being Morgan’s favorite person. It will, however, be one more thing I can wow Peter with.”

Younger Loki's brow furrowed in confusion, “Who’s Peter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one did _not_ go entirely as planned. The conversation younger Loki and Odin have is not the one I meant for them to have but that's the way it went. They still need to have the conversation Odin mentioned last chapter. It will happen just not right this second.


	16. Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conversations are had. Loki and Morgan prepare to _finally_ go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this week was a train wreck. Who the hell do I ask for a refund on it?
> 
> Holy crap! This story has passed the 100K word mark!
> 
> I swear, this is the last actual chapter. Next week, epilogue. Wow...

**_Sixteen_ **

Loki awoke feeling much more rested than he had expected to be. His sleep had not been plagued by nightmares, as he had feared it would be. In fact, the only “dream” he could remember having was the one Infinity had brought him and elder Loki into. He continued to lie there, letting his mind mull over what Infinity had told them. It had brought the other Loki and Morgan here as a means of saving, not just him, but their entire reality from being wiped out. Loki had the sense that his being saved had actually been Infinity’s main priority.

Loki shifted a little and realized that one: he was being drooled on, and two: someone had their arm wrapped around his waist.

Loki turned his head as best he could without actually moving his body. Morgan was somehow splayed across both him and the elder, her open mouth pressed against his shoulder. That explained the drool.

The arm, on the other hand, belonged to his brother. Thor had curled up behind him and Loki very carefully shifted Morgan closer to elder Loki then just as carefully rolled over so that he was facing Thor

Thor’s face was lax with sleep and to Loki he appeared peaceful. It hadn’t occurred to Loki before then that the entire time they were at the farm, Thor had always seemed agitated when he’d slept. Loki was glad his brother’s worries seemed to have alleviated.

Biting his lip and suddenly feeling _very_ mischievous, Loki reached up and took a lock of Thor’s hair in his fingers then used the ends to tickle Thor’s nose. Thor wrinkled his nose then settled again. Once more, Loki tickled Thor’s nose with his hair and again Thor wrinkled his nose. Loki kept this up until Thor finally tried to bat it away only to smack himself in the face. Loki pressed a hand to his mouth in an effort to smother his snickering.

Instead of waking, Thor let out a soft grunt and frowned. If Thor had been awake, Loki would have felt compelled to tease him about being _adorable._ As it was, Thor still slept and so, Loki decided to continue his fun.

He wiggled his fingers and green started to dance around them. The soft tendrils of seiðr moved away from him and towards the still slumbering Thunderer. Some moved to tickle his nose again while some played with his hair, still more moved on to gently tease the sensitive skin of his neck. Thor would never admit to being ticklish but he was _definitely_ ticklish. Loki was too but he guarded that secret _fiercely._

Of course, he suddenly remembered Thor _knew_ that when he felt his brother’s fingers dance along his sides. Loki jerked involuntarily and reached down to still Thor’s hand. The tendrils of seiðr disappeared and when Loki looked back at his brother, Thor had one eye cracked open.

Loki smiled sheepishly, knowing he had been caught. Thor poked him in the stomach and Loki jerked again. “Morgan is still sleeping,” he whispered, hoping that would deter Thor from starting a full-blown tickle fight.

Thor’s eyebrow slowly rose and he poked at Loki again. Loki grabbed his brother’s finger and bent it slightly to the side. Thor’s lips curled up a tiny bit and he took his hand back. Thor sat up a little then very carefully crawled out from under the blankets. He motioned for Loki to follow him.

Curious as to what his brother had planned, he just as carefully slipped from the bed. He did check to make sure he hadn’t woken any of the others and tucked the covers back around Morgan. He followed Thor from the room.

They made their way down the empty hallways, Loki feeling very much like a child who was up long after they were supposed to be in bed, until they came to the common area between their rooms. Thor lit the fire pit in the center and once it was fully stoked, he headed over to the balcony, pulling the sliding doors aside and letting the early morning light in. Loki stepped out onto the balcony, taking in the beauty that was Asgard in the morning.

“How are you doing?” Thor asked as he stepped up beside Loki.

Loki took a moment to think about it. “I’m better than I expected to be. I’m not…” he picked at his hand as he tried to find the right words. “There is still much I have to work through and last night… Being back in Asgard, last night everything I had done even before my fall came back to me.” Loki’s eyes lowered, he couldn’t meet Thor’s for what he said next. “I wanted to die last night. I thought it was what I deserved. Even though I helped to kill Thanos, did kill Thanos, I didn’t see how that could possibly make up for all I had done.”

“Loki…” Thor suddenly pulled Loki into his arms, causing the trickster to let out a soft yelp. “Brother, I’m so sorry.”

Confused, Loki asked, “Why are you apologizing? I need to apologize to you.”

Thor pulled back just far enough to meet Loki’s eyes and he lay his hand against the side of Loki’s neck. “I was so caught up in myself that I was completely blind to your own suffering. You told me you remembered being nothing more than my shadow. I never wanted that. I never wanted you to walk behind me; I’ve always wanted you _beside_ me. You are my brother and I do love you but I was so vain that I never saw what I was doing to you. You have every right to be angry with me.”

Loki could only stare silently at his brother. How long had it been that Loki had waited for Thor to truly _see_ him? How long had he followed after his brother, thrived under any attention and praise he received only to be knocked down by constant torment from Thor’s friends and at times, even Thor himself. Now that Loki thought about it, Thor would try to tease good naturedly but to the Idiots Four, that was taken as permission to make Loki’s life miserable. He had been called _ergi_ more times than he could count.

Loki had come to accept that Asgard _hated_ him. People called him the “Dark Prince” or “Snake Prince” though never near Thor’s or their parent’s ears. His prowess with seiðr was seen as unnatural for a man. He did not have the same physical strength as his brother and since Loki fought with his mind, used his seiðr to his advantage and knew when to walk away from a fight he couldn’t win, he was seen as a coward. He wasn’t the only one to compare himself to Thor and find himself lacking.

Thor shifted anxiously and Loki realized his brother was waiting for a response. “I tried to kill you, more than once. I…” The horrific sound of bones breaking and Thor’s lifeless body lying on a sandy road flashed through his mind. “I did kill you.”

“I was mortal at the time,” Thor replied. “I’m sure we both had forgotten about that at the time.”

Loki shook his head and stepped away from Thor. “You have no idea _why_ I sent the Destroyer, do you?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does,” Loki snapped. His morning had started out so good, why did he have to go and ruin it. _Because you refuse to let yourself be happy,_ he thought.

“But it’s over and done with Loki. I don’t see how bringing it up now would change anything.”

“It wouldn’t,” Loki admitted as his shoulders drooped. “I’m sure your friends have already told you why as it is.”

Thor scoffed and Loki was bewildered by the sound. “Well, according to Sif at least, you wanted to kill me and father so that you could keep the throne for yourself. I knew that wasn’t true because you’ve never wanted the throne. You reminded me of that in the Observatory. I’ll never forget the pain in your eyes, you…” Thor trailed off, his own expression becoming pained. “Did you… did you _expect_ me to kill you then?”

“In that moment, I wasn’t sure what I expected. It wasn’t until I was hanging over the edge that I wanted to die. Thor…” Loki looked away again and he wrapped his arms around himself, “the reason I sent the Destroyer was because… I was afraid of you.”

“Afraid of me? Why? Loki I would never—”

“You had just marched on Jötunheim because of what happened at your coronation and slaughtered them like it was a sport,” Loki interrupted. “And because of that, I learned what I was. I was terrified, Thor! Terrified that if you regained your power and learned what I was before I’d managed to end the war you’d started, that you wouldn’t see me. I wouldn’t be your brother anymore, just another monster to slaughter.

“I never actually wanted you dead but in my fear, I felt it was the only way I could stay safe. The look in your eyes when you were fighting on Jötunheim was one I’d never seen before. The bloodlust… All I could imagine should you learn the truth, was being beaten to death by you, that you’d take Mjölnir and strike until I was nothing but a bloody mess on the floor.”

They both fell silent and the only thing that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and Loki’s somewhat harsh breathing. He couldn’t believe he had brought that up. He was supposed to be _healing_ , not dredging up the past to reopen old wounds.

_Had those wounds ever actually healed?_ a small voice asked. _Or have you simply refused to face them?_

He shoved that voice aside. “You’re right, I never did want the throne,” Loki said, breaking the silence. “All I had ever wanted was to be your equal, to be as worthy of the throne as you are, in my own way.”

“You are,” Thor insisted. “In all honesty you surpass me in so many ways. On Midgard, before I had come to learn the reasoning for your actions I said that the throne would suit you ill. I was wrong about that Loki and those words tasted like ash in my mouth when I said them. They were true, at that time, but I knew that if you were given the chance, you would prove me wrong. You would make a great king someday.”

Thor’s words actually eased something in Loki. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m sorry; I never meant to become melancholy.”

“Don’t apologize brother,” Thor said, once more wrapping Loki in his arms. “You spoke words you needed to say.”

“You honestly believe I would make a good king?”

“If given the chance, yes.”

“What do you mean by that? You aren’t planning on abdicating before even taking it are you? The people will never go for it.”

Thor led them back over to the large sofa to sit, grabbing one of the furs along the way to wrap themselves in. Thor’s eyes turned to the fire and remained there. “When Loki brought Stark and me here to repair the Bifröst I took some time to speak with Sif and the others.”

Loki felt himself stiffen. He had yet to run into Thor’s friends and he was honestly dreading such an encounter. He could imagine the venom Sif would spit at him. Frankly, he was surprised he hadn’t run into them before now.

“Our conversation did not go as I had expected,” Thor continued. “When I had told them that you had been rescued their reactions… I’ve never seen such hatred in Sif’s expression. The Warrior’s reactions differed as well. Volstagg seemed genuinely happy to hear that you were safe and healing and Fandrall wished you well but… Hogun and especially Sif could only speak of how you had betrayed me and tried to steal Asgard’s throne from me. They wanted to know how they could help in bringing ‘the vile traitor’ to ‘justice’.”

“They thought I had usurped your throne.”

“But you didn’t,” Thor said, “and I explained that to them but it didn’t seem to matter. With father in the Odinsleep and me banished to Midgard, you were the legitimate ruler.”

“Shame no one besides mother and the council recognized that. Your friends and Heimdall were all too quick to betray me. I’d ordered the Bifröst closed to prevent any further hostilities with Jötunheim. Sif and the Warriors had come to petition, more like _order,_ me to bring you back. It wasn’t safe and even if I had brought you back from Midgard, I never would have been able to restore your power.”

“I know.”

“But do you know that I did go to Laufey with an offer? I told him I’d bring him and a handful of his people here so they could kill Odin. I never planned on letting them succeed. I wanted to prove my loyalty to Asgard,” he looked down at his upturned palms, “that this vile blood didn’t rule me. I killed Laufey and he never even knew I was the runt he abandoned to die. I led Laufey to his death.”

Silence fell once again. Loki held his hands out towards the fire. Between that and the fur Thor had bundled them in, Loki was nice and warm. Loki had always hated the cold, even more so after finding out about his Jötunn heritage. Loki felt his eyes beginning to droop and he leaned his head against Thor’s shoulder. Gathering up what little courage he could muster, he asked, “You don’t hate me for what I’ve done?”

“No,” Thor replied. “I have hated your actions but I’ve never hated you. I think I may be beginning to understand _why_ you did some of what you did. I can’t say that if I had been in your position, I would have done things differently. I only wish I had never caused you to be so fearful of me. I’ve only ever wanted to protect you and it turns out I was one of the very people who hurt you. If you will let me, I would like to try and make it up to you.”

Loki could think of no response to that. Thor’s words felt sincere and they brought more comfort to Loki than he’d expected. He had no doubt Thor would stay true to his words. He had a feeling Thor would become quite annoying as he tried to make up for everything he thought he had done to slight Loki.

Loki pulled the furs a bit tighter and let his eyes fall closed. The continued crackle of the fire slowly began to lull him back to sleep. He felt Thor snake an arm around him then pull until they were both lying on the sofa. Safely nestled between Thor and the back of the sofa, he let sleep finally pull him under once more.

* * *

“Aren’t they just the _cutest_ thing?”

Loki grabbed Tony’s hand before the man could pull out his phone and begin taking pictures. He dragged Tony away from the sofa younger Thor and Loki were still sleeping on. “Don’t wake them,” he hissed.

Tony smiled, “What’s the matter Merlin? Afraid I’ll use any pictures as blackmail against you and Point Break?”

Actually, yes, that had been part of it but he’d never tell Tony that. Tony had done the same thing to Thor and him when he had caught the brothers in a similar situation… Loki stopped; it seemed like so long ago that he had been rescued from the vastness of space by Tony but it had only been six years, barely the blink of an eye for the Æsir.

Loki may have secretly made a copy of that picture. Tony didn’t need to know that though.

He led Tony out of the common area and back to the set of rooms they had been staying in the night before. When everyone had woken up they’d realized younger Thor and Loki had left sometime during the night. Loki had had a pretty good idea of where they’d gone off to and Tony had followed behind him.

“They’re still sleeping,” he informed Frigga when they’d returned.

“Then we will let them be,” she said.

“Is Ki sick again?” Morgan asked from the table. A breakfast of fruits, meats, cheeses and bread had been set out for them all. She took another bite of the sweet rolls, little bits of frosting sticking to her cheeks.

“He’s just tired,” Loki told her reassuringly. “Beating up bad guys is like that.”

Morgan seemed satisfied with that explanation, “Okay. Do you think he’ll play with us later?”

“I’m sure he’d love to play with you,” Frigga said.

After breakfast and sending the children off to play, Loki went in search of Odin. They would soon be returning to their own reality but he wanted to ensure that Loki would be taken care of. Given the way Odin’s eye had barely left his youngest son the previous evening, he doubted he really had much to worry about. He did, however, have another matter in which to speak to the All-Father about.

He found Odin in his office, his desk covered in the same kind of controlled chaos Loki’s normally was. He knocked lightly on the door before entering.

Odin set his paperwork aside and leaned back in his chair. He gestured for Loki to sit, “I know that look. You want something from me.”

“Guilty,” Loki replied as he took a seat. “Mainly, I want to talk to you about Loki.”

“We have spoken at length already,” Odin said, “although if you have any advice on how to pull him from his self-loathing I would love to hear it.”

“You would?”

One of Odin’s eyebrows rose.

“Right,” Loki said. “I suppose I’m comparing you to how my father was around this time. I was still partly under Thanos’s influence and he was rather harsh. I understand now that it was for my own protection but that doesn’t necessarily change how I think you are going to react.”

“I want to help him but I’m fear I may do him more harm than good,” Odin admitted. “I tried to be a good father, especially after my failure with Hela. I was afraid I would end up raising them both to become just like Hela. When the events surrounding Jötunheim happened, I thought I _had_ failed again. I know I told Loki that we would talk but… I’m not entirely certain how to begin the conversation.”

“You could start by reassuring him that when you told him ‘no’ on the Bifröst it wasn’t a rejection. He may hide it, but he still thinks of himself as inherently evil because he’s Jötunn. Tell him about Bestla, it will help.” Loki shrugged, “It’s helped me.”

“I will do that.”

Loki let his eyes roam around the office. In his reality, this had been his office the whole time he was masquerading as his father. It belonged to Thor now and Loki no longer felt claustrophobic in this room anymore.

“There was something else you wanted to speak to me about, isn’t there?” Odin asked.

“Yes,” Loki said. He brought forth the Infinity Stones that he had held onto since the previous day. “I’m not entirely sure what to do with these. I can’t take them with me to my reality and I don’t think scattering them is wise. I’d give them to Loki but I’m not sure he’s ready to hold on to them.”

“We could place them in the Vault for the time being,” Odin offered. “However, if it ever came to light that Asgard held all six, others with lofty ambitions might come looking.”

Loki agreed. “That reminds me, Infinity came to us last night in our dreams.”

“Oh?”

“It said that it had already taken care of the Dark Elves and Hela. Infinity removed the lock your life force had on her cage. She can never be freed.”

Loki was surprised by Odin’s own look of surprise followed by the absolute _relief_ that crossed his expression. “I had worried about what would happen should she be freed,” he admitted. “I spoke to Loki last night about her, about how I had seen monsters and was even one myself at one time. I told him,” Odin shook his head slightly, “that his actions did not make him one. I’m not entirely sure he took my words to heart.”

“He probably didn’t,” Loki told him. He knew from personal experience how hard it was to finally believe he wasn’t evil. He still hadn’t entirely come to terms with his Jötunn heritage but it _was_ getting better. He no longer wanted to vomit whenever he thought about it. “That’s why you need to continue to constantly reassure him. Possibly to the point of annoyance. If he threatens to stab you, you’re on the right track.”

Odin’s lips turned up in a smile. “That was definitely a trait you inherited from your mother. Did you know she stabbed me when I first met her?”

Loki stared at him in shock, “Uh, no, I didn’t. What did you to do get yourself stabbed?”

Odin blushed, “Fell out of a tree. I was… enraptured by her beauty and thought I was being quite the gentleman.”

“Then why were you in a tree?”

“Her shawl had blown away and I thought to retrieve it. I miscalculated the strength of the branch I was perched on.”

Loki was almost positive there was more to the story. “Not sure how that ends up with a stabbing.”

Odin laughed now, “Your mother had a number of suitors vying for her hand. As one of Vanaheim’s princesses, a marriage to her was highly sought after. Truth be told, I had never seen her before then. I had heard of her but I did not know what she looked like. She thought I was another suitor there to demand her hand.”

“Were you?”

“Not initially, no. Once we came to know one another we knew nothing could keep us from marrying. Of course your mother never bothered to inform her various other suitors so they were still coming to seek her hand.

“That must have been interesting.”

“Oh, it was, especially when one man appeared on our wedding day.”

Loki snorted. “That sounds like something I would do.”

“You and your mother are so much alike, it’s frightening. I suppose it was one of the reasons we never told Loki he was adopted.” The humor left Odin’s eye. “Now there is a topic of conversation I am dreading.”

“He needs to hear it.”

“I know, however that doesn’t make it any easier.” Odin gestured to the Stones. “I believe the best course of action in regards to those is to place them in the Vault for the time being. Once Loki feels comfortable enough, they will go to him.”

“All right.”

“When do you plan on returning to your reality?”

“Soon, within the next couple of days at least.” He picked Space and Reality up from the desktop. “I changed the whole course of your reality just by being here…”

“For the better,” Odin said. “If you hadn’t come our fate would have been much worse. I _would_ have lost my son. I may even have lost both of them. I am glad you came. Our future is much brighter now. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us.”

“It was all selfish,” Loki replied with a smirk.

“Cheeky brat.”

“I suppose some things never change, despite the reality.”

“No. I suppose they don’t.” Odin stood, “Let’s put these away for safe keeping. When it is time for you to return, we can collect the ones you need.”

Loki gathered the rest of the Stones and followed Odin to the Vault.

* * *

The next few days passed all too quickly for Loki. The closer it came to the time the others would return to their reality, the more melancholy Loki became. He found he did not want them to leave. He knew they had to but… he feared what would happen of him once they did. Would he become an outcast once more?

While Loki was going to miss elder Loki he was going to miss Morgan even more. From the moment she had been thrust into his life, she had never once seen anything but _him._ He had never been invisible to her, never been found lacking. It was something Loki could not remember experiencing for a very long time. His memories were slowly righting themselves, of which he was _absolutely_ thankful, however there were still too many that had been altered by Thanos.

Loki had taken to walking throughout the palace gardens. He had avoided the training areas for the time being, he still wasn’t ready to face the rest of Asgard just yet. He had a terrible feeling there was going to be a grand feast soon. It was not something he was looking forward to.

Loki sat on the edge of one of the many fountains in the gardens. He ran his fingers through the water, absentmindedly using his seiðr to manipulate it. The trickling in the fountain soothed his slightly frazzled nerves.

Loki never heard anyone approach and jumped in surprise when someone ran their fingers through his hair. He spun around to see his mother standing beside him.

“What are you doing out here all alone dearheart?” she asked.

Loki shrugged, willing his rapidly beating heart to slow. He tried to pretend his mother hadn’t just scared the life from him. “Thinking,” he replied.

His mother hummed thoughtfully as she took a seat beside him. “What about?”

“Nothing important.”

“Loki.”

He pulled his hand from the water. “Truly mother, it isn’t important.”

“And yet I sense that whatever it is, it’s causing you heartache.”

“I’ll be fine”

“Will you?”

“I have to be. I have no other choice.”

“Please tell me what troubles you. If I am able to help in any way, I will do so.”

“I don’t want them to leave,” Loki admitted after a short pause. “I know they cannot stay, that they need to return to their reality but…” He looked down at his hands and hunched his shoulders slightly. He picked at his fingers until his mother lay a hand over his own, stilling them. “I’m afraid that once they leave, I’ll be all alone again.”

“Oh Loki,” his mother pulled him to her and he allowed himself to be held. “We’ll never allow that to happen.”

“I wish I could believe that mother,” Loki sighed as he pulled back. “I had been alone for so long, even before my fall, the thought of returning to that terrifies me.”

Pain etched itself into her expression. “Your friends have not been to see you?”

“What friends?”

Confusion mixed with pain. “The Warriors and Sif.”

Loki laughed although there was no humor in it. “They are not my friends.”

She seemed surprised at that. “What are you talking about? Of course they are. You have all been friends for centuries.”

“They have been _Thor’s_ friends for centuries. I was only the little brother they tolerated for Thor’s sake.”

“You have all been on many adventures together. There were many times where you seemed inseparable.”

“It was all for show. Believe me, they were completely different when there was no one else around. Sif was the first person who ever called me _ergi_ to my face.”

“Someone has called you _ergi_?”

“Yes mother, I have been labeled ergi for a very long time.”

A look of extreme displeasure crossed her face. “Why did you never tell us this?”

“I grew tired of arguing the insults. They lessened when I finally stopped reacting to them.”

“Has Thor—”

“No,” Loki reassured her quickly, “Thor has never called me that. Our insults have always been of the brotherly sort.”

“I’m not sure that makes me feel better,” she said drily. Her brows drew together and she seemed unsure of something “Have none of your other friends come to see you?”

She looked so hopeful that Loki’s heart ached. “Aside from you and Thor… mother, I have no friends.” She flinched as though he had struck her. “Well, that’s not entirely true anymore,” he quickly. “I have Morgan. She is the only friend I have ever made. Loki doesn’t quite count since he’s an alternate version of me.”

His mother appeared stricken. He could almost hear her thoughts racing. “That can’t be right. I know I have seen you with others.”

“I’ve had acquaintances, but never friends. I don’t understand why you are fretting mother. I have known for a very long time that I am unpleasant to be around. I’m arrogant and selfish and just completely horrid. The only reason I was ever tolerated was due to my station. If I had not been a Prince of Asgard I would have been treated like the outcast I am viewed as.

“I don’t say this for any kind of self pity. It is simply the way things are. It was easier to just accept it than to fight for something I learned at an early age I’ll never have.”

If anything, his mother appeared even more bothered by his words than better. Loki truly did not understand why she was so upset.

“I had always thought you were shy,” his mother said after a long moment.

“I never minded being alone. It allowed me more time to peruse my own interests. Thor never could understand why I enjoyed the library so.”

“But did you truly enjoy it or was it your own means of escape from your loneliness?”

Loki had never thought about it that way. “Before I fell, I did enjoy it well enough. Now though… I can’t help associating being alone with the emptiness of the Void. That is a sense of isolation I never want to experience again. That’s not to say I want to be around people all day, every day. That is more social interaction than I am used to.” He smiled at her. “I might end up stabbing someone.” His mother didn’t smile and his own dropped. “Mother?”

“I’m so sorry Loki. I should have realized long ago how bothered you were by all of this.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I still should have noticed.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m your mother. I should have done more to help you.”

“Mother… You can’t _make_ people like me nor can you force them to change their view. I told you, I accepted this long ago. Where the people are concerned, I will always be compared to Thor and I will always be found lacking. I’m not as strong as Thor and I don’t fight the way a ‘proper’ warrior is meant to since I use ‘tricks’. It’s one reason I stopped going to the practice rings. No one would spar with me since I do not fight with honor.”

His mother scoffed, “In a real battle, there is no such thing as a fair fight. Your magic is as much a part of you as Thor’s lightning is. I’ve never heard anyone complain of Thor using his natural talent.”

“It’s because I’m a man, seiðr is _unnatural_ to me,” he shrugged, “or at least, it’s supposed to be.”

His mother stood abruptly and Loki was surprised to find that she was actually shaking with anger. “I taught you the art of seiðr not only because of your _natural_ talent for it but also so that you would have something of your own. Your father and brother cast long shadows, this is true, and I had hoped that by training you, you would have something to call your own.”

Loki stood as well, “I do mother. You have no idea how grateful I am that you taught me. I have learned so much from you and I may not have had friends before now but I have always had you and Thor. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the Nine.”

She seemed somewhat placated by that. “I suppose you’re right,” she said, the anger seeming to drain out of her. She turned to face him. “I hope you know you are not alone and that you have never really been alone.”

“I know that now,” he replied. He ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly. “I’ve grown so used to having the others around, I don’t want it to change.”

“They are returning this evening, aren’t they?”

Loki nodded, feeling sadness rush through him.

“Why aren’t you with them then?” she asked. “Enjoy the time together you have left.”

He really should. Loki wanted to create as many memories with little Morgan as he could. He linked his arm with hers and together they headed back inside.

* * *

Loki had watched younger Loki play with Morgan for the rest of the afternoon. He doubted Loki realized that he let his guard down when he was around her. Loki knew he was the same way. He was also more comfortable with himself as well. He’d given up caring what others thought of him a long time ago.

Loki had collected the Space and Reality Stones from the Vault. They felt heavier in his hand than they really were. He was dreading the moment Morgan realized she wouldn’t see younger Loki again. Loki was going to miss everyone from this reality.

“So,” Tony sighed, “as much as I hate to say it, we should probably stop delaying the inevitable.”

The whole atmosphere of the room suddenly became heavier. Their parting was a topic everyone had been trying to avoid for as long as they could.

“You’re right,” younger Rogers said. He stepped over to Loki and held out a hand. “We may have gotten off to a rough start but it has been a pleasure to know you.”

“You as well,” Loki replied, shaking the man’s hand.

Frigga pulled him into an embrace once he and Rogers had parted. “Thank you, for bringing my son back to me.” Behind her, Odin nodded in agreement.

“You’re welcome.”

Younger Thor hauled Loki into a bear hug. “I can never thank you enough for what you have done for my brother.”

“I owe you so much,” younger Loki said.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Loki replied, casting a quick glamour to hide the blush he could feel darkening his cheeks. “Your reality still has much to do to recover from Thanos. I only wish I could have done more.”

“We may need to recover,” Rogers said, “but we never would have won had it not been for you.” His eyes found younger Loki. “Both of you.”

Loki nodded in acknowledgment of his words. He braced himself when he heard Pepper speak.

“Morgan, honey, say goodbye to Loki.”

Morgan still had her hand in younger Loki’s. “But Ki’s coming with us,” Morgan said. She smiled up at younger Loki. “You can see my room and my toys. I wanna show you the book Ki made me. He tells funny stories about T’or.”

Everyone exchanged sorrowful looks. Younger Loki knelt down before Morgan. “I can’t come with you sweetie. I belong here.”

“Oh? But you’re gonna come visit later, right?”

Loki flinched and he wasn’t the only one. “He can’t honey. Once we go home, our worlds will have no way to see each other any more.”

“What?” Morgan appeared on the verge of tears. “I can’t ever see Ki again?”

Younger Loki shook his head, a tear ran down his cheek. “No, but I will never forget you.”

“But I don’t wanna say bye forever.”

“I don’t want to either but we don’t have any choice. You need to go home to your own world.” He gestured towards Loki. “You have your uncle.”

“I want you too.”

Loki felt terrible. Morgan had come to love younger Loki just as much as she loved him. He hated that she would never see him again.

_Why must you part forever?_

Loki jerked at the voice. Judging by the look of surprise on the younger’s face, he had heard Infinity as well. _What do you mean?_ he asked.

_Did you forget already beloved? Our power is your power. Your two realities need not part forever. You both have the ability to travel between the two whenever you wish. We have already promised to teach you to control our power. You both are quick studies, you will master our power in no time._

“Hey, hello,” Stark snapped his fingers in front of both his and younger Loki’s faces. “You two are spacing out again. What gives?”

“Sorry,” Loki said with a shake of his head, “Infinity was speaking to us.”

“What did it say?” Odin asked.

“That its power is our own,” replied younger Loki, “and that not only would it teach us how to harness it, but that we’ll be able to come and go between our two realities at will.”

“How is that possible?” Stark asked.

Frigga gasped, “You do not simply harness the power of the Infinity Stones, you have become their physical manifestation. You are still you but at the same time you _are_ the Stones.”

“Weirdly enough, that actually makes sense,” Tony said.

“How?” Thor asked. Loki was just as curious.

“Thanos destroyed the Stones in our reality but our reality still exists. The Infinity Stones are what give us our perception of, well, reality, right? If they are the basis for each aspect of the universe then their destruction should have removed each aspect. Our universe kept going which means that the _essence_ of the Stones was never actually destroyed, just altered.”

“Or freed,” Odin said. “Our Stones are useless now. They may appear to contain their power but in truth it is all housed in Loki.”

“What?” he and younger Loki exclaimed.

A twinkling laugh rang out in his mind. _You need not be so surprised, our beloveds. You were both born to wield us. Did you believe we would entrust our power with any other?_

“What’s that mean?” Morgan asked.

“I think…” younger Loki and Loki exchanged equal expressions of wonder, “I may be able to come visit you after all.”

Morgan lit up at his words, throwing herself into younger Loki’s arms. “I get to keep both my Ki’s.”

Loki felt hope blossom in his chest. He and Morgan had both come to care for the people of this reality. They had, in many ways, become family to them. To know they wouldn’t have to permanently lose contact was a relief.

“Another Loki coming to our reality,” Tony said thoughtfully. He shook his head with a smirk. “Boy is Strange going to be pissed.”

Loki agreed and he couldn’t wait.


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone returns home, new friendships are strengthening and Loki and Odin finally have their talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, nearly four months and over twice as long than I'd anticipated and this fic is finally COMPLETE! This story has been one wild ride. I can't believe I wrote a 190 page (according to MS word) story in such a short amount of time. This is nearly as long as the rest of the Picking Up the Pieces series _combined!_ And yeah I'm obviously partial but I think this is my favorite one out of all of them.
> 
> Also, in case no one noticed, I'm attaching this to a new series as well. I love the new Thor and Loki that I've created in this younger alternate reality and I'm not ready to give them up yet. I don't know when we'll get to adventures of their own but it will come. I want to put out the extra scenes from this fic that just didn't make it in here. I was going to put those shorts in Little Pieces but given that I'm starting a new series the shorts will have their own spot, set up like Little Pieces and also attached to the first series since it crosses over both of them.
> 
> I think I'm rambling so I'm just going to leave you all to it. Enjoy...
> 
> Wait, quick question! Does 5K words actually make this an epilogue or is it just an ending chapter?

**_Epilogue_ **

_2024_

“Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Loki wasn’t sure what to do when Doctor Foster threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He looked over at his brother who was failing miserably at suppressing his smile. Morgan wrapped her arms around his leg and scowled up at Doctor Foster. Her expression clearly read, _why are you hugging my Ki?_

“Um… thank you?” Loki replied.

Doctor Foster pulled back. “I am _so_ sorry.”

Doctor Selvig shifted uncomfortably as well. “I’m sorry too,” his words were more directed at everyone else.

“Yeah, you better be,” Tony said sarcastically.

“It wasn’t entirely your fault,” Loki told them as he pulled Morgan up to sit against his hip. “Your devices weren’t the sole cause of our little adventure. Infinity used it as an excuse to pull us over.”

Both doctors appeared confused. “Who is Infinity?” Selvig asked.

“The entity created by the Infinity Stones,” Thor answered. “I think I told you about Loki being the vessel for the Stones.”

“Right, I didn’t know it had a name.”

“Either way, it used the thinned barrier the explosion caused by your devices to pull us over,” Loki explained. “It wanted us to help correct the path that reality had taken.”

“I got another Ki,” Morgan said with a smile. “You better not be mean when he comes over.”

“Morgan,” Pepper chided gently.

“What?” she asked. “I don’t want no one to be mean to my Ki’s.”

Doctor Foster stepped over to one of the lab tables and grabbed a thick binder. She brought it over and held it out to Loki. “Burn it,” she said.

“Jane!” Selvig exclaimed. “You can’t! Our research!”

“I’m not about to risk something like this happening again,” Doctor Foster said firmly. “It was my ambition and, let’s face it, my lack of safety protocols that led to this. I’m not going to be the reason someone else gets hurt or worse.” She shook the binder again. “This is all of my research on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and how I created the devices.”

Doctor Selvig appeared as though he was about to have a coronary. “Jane, think about this. You have spent _years_ on this research, now you want to just throw it all away?”

“I don’t _want_ to,” she replied.

“Then don’t,” Loki said.

The adults all gaped at him, “What?”

“While you don’t have enough of an understanding to put anything into practical use, that doesn’t mean that anything you learn can’t be used in the future. Just… no more Stargates.”

Doctor Foster sighed, lowering the binder. She nodded, “All right, but I am destroying what is left of the machines. I don’t want anyone somehow reverse engineering them.”

“Fair enough. Now if it’s all the same to everyone, I think it’s time we went home.”

Morgan laid her head on his shoulder. “Are we going to sleep in our _real_ room tonight?”

“Don’t you want to sleep in your own bed?” Loki asked. “I need to go home and see my mommy and daddy. I’m sure your mommy and daddy can’t wait to get you home.”

“Yeah squirt,” Tony cocked and eyebrow and jiggled her leg. “You’ve been living with, not one, but _two_ Loki’s for months. Aren’t you tired of him?”

Pepper ran a hand down her face while Thor tried to stifle his laughter behind his hand. He failed. “Tony,” Pepper moaned.

Morgan turned her head so that her chin was digging into Loki’s shoulder. “Ki promised I could have _anything_ and I wanna sleep in our bed tonight.”

“What do you mean by ‘our’ bed?” Tony asked. Pepper lowered her hand and stared at her daughter as they waited for an answer.

“The one in our room,” Morgan said as though it should be obvious. “The one we sleep on when we go to Ki and T’or’s castle.”

“Morgan,” Loki sighed, “that’s my room.”

“Our room.”

“No, it’s _my_ room. You have your own room.”

“She may be right about that brother,” Thor said. “Has she even used her room at all?”

“That’s beside the point,” Loki said. He adjusted Morgan so he could see her face. “It’s my room, my bed and I am going to _sprawl_.”

Morgan grinned, “My room is your room Ki. We gotz the same one.”

“We’re going back to Asgard, aren’t we?” asked Tony.

“Seems like it,” Pepper replied.

“Getting tired of being her favorite person yet?” Thor asked.

Loki hugged Morgan, resigning himself to continue being her own personal pillow for a while longer. “Not even a little.”

* * *

_2012_

It wasn’t long after the others had returned to their reality that Loki and Thor escorted Stark and his companions to the Observatory. Loki found he was going to miss them as well, especially the antics little Lila and Morgan would get themselves into. They had actually reminded him of Thor and him when they were younger. Had he and his brother really been that disgustingly cute?

Loki made a show of rolling his eyes at their “manly” goodbyes. Lila had requested a hug which he had gladly given. _Face it_ , he thought to himself, _you are still an overgrown child and so is Thor._ Case in point, Thor running around the dais like a maniac with Cooper on his back.

“Listen,” Stark said, drawing Loki’s attention, “I know there is a lot that needs to be done now that Thanos is dead and everyone brought back… Look, I have no clue when any of us are going to have any free time but,” he held out a small piece of paper, “whenever you and Point Break get the chance to come back to Earth feel free to hit us up.”

Loki took the paper and was surprised to see a list of addresses on it. “Why are you giving me this?”

Stark rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. “Unless you know where I live, you’re going to need to know where to go.”

Loki continued to look at the paper in confusion. “But why give it to _me_?”

“I’d like to think we were starting to become friends.” Stark shrugged, “If you don’t want to, I’m not gonna force ya.”

“Thor I can understand,” Loki said, “he is able to make friends with just about anyone, but me…”

“You know, you really aren’t half bad when you’re not brainwashed into being a crazy world conquering supervillain.” Stark sobered, “I know what it’s like to hide who you really are behind masks. There’s the you that you show the world, then there’s the you that you only really show to a select few people, Thor and Morgan are definitely among those few. We’re similar in that regard. It’s easier to push everyone away than risk getting hurt yourself.”

Loki had kept people at a distance so as to not get hurt from their eventual rejection of him. Loki decided to take a chance, though it twisted his stomach into knots. “I think my brother and I will take you up on your offer. It would be nice to attempt a real friendship.”

“Great!” exclaimed Stark. “We’ll order pizza or something. If you’re willing, I’d love to know how your magic works. What do you call it again?”

“Seiðr.”

“Awesome.”

They both turned towards the dais when they heard Heimdall twist Hofund to activate the Bifröst. The Barton’s were the first to leave then Heimdall adjusted the Bifröst so that Stark and Lady Pepper could depart as well.

“We’ll be seeing you,” Stark said. “Keep Point Break out of trouble.”

Loki chuckled, “Easier said than done.”

Thor came to stand beside him, throwing an arm over Loki’s shoulders, “Insulting me already?”

“No insult brother, simply the truth,” Loki quipped.

Stark took Lady Pepper’s hand in his and waved back at them. “I am definitely going to miss having you two around. Bye Point Break! Later Merlin!” They stepped into the vortex and were whisked back to Midgard.

With his arm still around Loki’s shoulders, Thor led them from the Observatory and back towards the palace. Loki’s fear of the bridge was held at bay by his brother’s presence. Visual progress on construction of the guard rails helped as well. Even so, Loki made sure to keep to the center of the bridge.

Once they had returned to the safety of the main walkway, some of the tension left Loki. Thor, on the other hand seemed even more tense than before.

“What’s wrong?” Loki asked.

“Nothing,” Thor replied, “I was… um… wondering if you wanted to travel into the city.”

Loki turned his head to better see Thor’s face. His brother held a tentative hope in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” Loki replied after a moment. “I’m not ready for that just yet.”

Thor stepped back a little. “No, no, it’s okay. I don’t want to push you to do something you’re not ready for.” He wrapped his arm back around Loki. “What was that Stark gave you?”

Loki took out the piece of paper he had put away. “Addresses to his homes. He wants us to come visit when we are able. He said he wanted to know more about my seiðr and that…” He felt a small smile form, “That he thought we were becoming friends.”

“That’s wonderful brother. We will have to take Stark up on his offer. Whenever you’re ready to, that is.”

Loki’s smile turned self-deprecating, “Why don’t you go into the city? I don’t want to be a burden to you just because I’m not strong enough to face anyone yet. You shouldn’t have to stay away from your friends because of me.”

“You aren’t a burden Loki. You have survived something none of us could ever imagine going through. I wish you would stop putting yourself down.”

They continued on towards the palace. “I can’t help it,” Loki said, his eyes watching the path in front of them. “I have spent centuries listening to how I could never be the warrior you are… I suppose it’s something I’ll have to learn to grow out of.”

“I will do everything I can to help, if you’ll allow me.”

“Thank you. Now,” he ducked out from underneath Thor’s arm then pushed him away playfully, “go visit your friends. I’m sure they have missed you.”

Thor’s face fell, much to Loki’s confusion. “I don’t know if I can remain friends with them.”

“What? Thor, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t break off your friendship with them because of me. They’re idiots but they _are_ your friends.”

“I’ll think about it,” Thor said, “but if all they do is belittle you and refuse to change, then I can’t have them around. You need to heal and their abuse is no way to do that.”

“Thor, I’m touched but…” Loki had always known his brother cared for him, even if he had been obvious to Loki’s torment when they were growing up. He was unused to being the focus of so much _good_ attention that he didn’t know exactly what he was supposed to do with it.

“But?”

Loki shook his head, “Nothing.”

“Loki…”

“Really, it’s nothing,” Loki said, holding up his hands. “You should know that you can’t force someone to change their ways, let alone their opinion. Sif has hated me for as long as I can remember. At first it was jealousy over you giving me attention, then—”

“Why would she be jealous of me giving you attention? You’re my brother, I’m supposed to give you attention.”

“She’s in love with you, you dolt. Why do you think she acts the way she does? She wants you to notice her as something other than a friend.”

The stupefied look on Thor’s face was almost comical. “And for that, she abused you? How could she possibly think that would endear her to me?”

“You would have to ask her. I’m sure there is more to it than that. She has always had to prove herself as a warrior among all the others. I’ve had to prove myself because of my thin frame and different fighting skill, along with my seiðr. You’d think that commonality would make us friends. I think it did for a little while, I can’t remember, but the more she tried to be ‘one of the men’ the more she would take her frustrations out on me. And we have delved into a topic of conversation I had not planned on.”

“Why did you never tell me? Or father and mother? Someone?”

Loki sighed, “You are her friend. I never told mother or father because they had more important things to worry about. They had responsibilities to the whole of Asgard and beyond.” He shrugged, “My troubles just didn’t seem important in the grand scheme. I thought it was best to just ignore it.”

Thor’s expression was now a mixture of confusion and pain. “Why did you never tell me at least? I would have done whatever I could.”

Loki pressed his lips together, weighing whether or not to tell Thor the truth. He didn’t want to hurt his brother any more than he already had. “I never told you… because for a while you were the same way.”

He hated the stricken expression which crossed Thor’s face at his words.

“You grew out of it,” Loki reassured. “We were both still very young, you were just entering puberty, you’re _supposed_ to be annoying and pick on me.”

Thor stepped further away from him. “I still don’t understand why you never said anything.”

Loki just wanted this conversation to be over. “Thor, I may have a silver tongue but for the life of me, I can’t articulate how I felt or why I never said anything. When I try to explain it in my mind,it seems pathetic. I think ‘I should have been a better warrior’ or ‘I should have tried harder’ or even that what everyone was saying was true, that I am ergi.”

“You are _not_ ergi!” Thor yelled.

Loki quickly looked around and was glad to see they were still alone. “I know I’m not but knowing it logically and _feeling_ it are two entirely different things. It’s something _I_ have to work on. I can’t just change the way I feel with a snap of my fingers. I wish it was that easy but it’s not.”

“I wish it was too,” Thor said, deflating a little.

“A lot has happened in such a short amount of time and given our longevity…” he couldn’t help but laugh, “it may have been too fast.” He made a vague motion by his head. “We aren’t _wired_ for such fast paced change. It will be a learning experience for everyone.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Thor wrapped one arm back around Loki and swept his other arm towards the palace. “Since neither of us feel like interacting with the masses, I purpose,” Thor smirked and Loki wasn’t sure whether to be disturbed by his expression or not, “we return home and spend the rest of the day being lazy.”

“For once brother, you have had an _excellent_ idea.”

* * *

Upon their return to the palace, the brothers were met in one of the many hallways by their father. “Your friends made it safely home, I take it,” Odin said.

“They did,” Thor replied, “Stark has even invited Loki to visit.”

“He invited _both_ of us to visit,” Loki corrected. He knew what Thor was trying to do and while it gave him a case of the “warm fuzzies” he didn’t want to be singled out. That part still felt weird.

Odin smiled, “I am glad to hear that.” He focused his single eye on Loki. “Are you busy at the moment?”

“No,” Loki replied.

His father nodded. “If you have some time then I would like to speak with you.”

Loki felt his stomach drop. He knew their conversation was coming but he was hoping it would be a little longer before they had it. He swallowed, “Of course.”

His father motioned for Loki to follow. Thor started with them too but Odin stopped him. “I need to speak to your brother alone.”

Loki nodded reassuringly at Thor’s look of worry. “All right,” Thor said. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

His father led him through the halls. Loki wasn’t entirely sure where he’d expected his father to take him but the library wasn’t anywhere near the top of the list. Part of Loki still thought he was destined for the dungeons. They continued silently through the library to a balcony overlooking one of the palaces many gardens.

Odin sat on one of the benches and Loki took the one across from him. He felt his anxiety begin to spike the longer his father remained silent.

“I have spent these last few nights,” Odin began, “thinking about how best to approach this conversation. I’ve come to realize there is none. I know you have many questions and at the time you needed answers the most, I failed to be there for you. I regret that more than you will ever know. I suppose I should start at the beginning and I hope this time, cooler heads will prevail.”

“Why did you take me?” Loki asked before his father could continue. “You were knee deep in Jötunn blood, why not just kill me and be done with it?”

“You were an innocent child,” his father replied sharply, “after all of the bloodshed, I refused to take one more life needlessly.” His father’s eye held a sadness Loki could only recall seeing a handful of times. “Loki, when I found you in the Temple you could not have been more than a few hours old. Your umbilical cord was still attached and you were crying out for someone to hear you. I had hoped to find your caregivers nearby but… there were none. Given your size I knew instantly what had happened.

“On Jötunheim, size is everything. To have a child born a runt is seen as a sign of the gods’ displeasure. I instantly recognized your markings as being of Laufey’s bloodline. You are, by all rights, the Crown Prince of Jötunheim and its rightful king… but I’m getting ahead of myself.

“As I was saying, size is everything. When a Jötnar woman births a runt, she is honor bound to commit ritual suicide. In order to prevent anyone from knowing Farbauti had given birth to a runt, Laufey forbade her from doing so. She did give birth to two more sons before passing of an illness.”

“So I was unwanted from the start,” Loki said.

“Your birth parents lost all rights to you the moment they left you in that Temple. Their abandonment of you is the reason you hate the cold so much, why you were afraid of storms as they instinctively reminded you of the sounds of battle.” Odin sighed heavily, “It was one reason why your mother and I never told you that you were adopted. We could think of no way to tell you your birth parents left you to die due to something you had no control over.”

“I had a right to know.”

“You did,” agreed Odin, “and it is one of the _many_ ways we failed you.”

“But why didn’t you tell me once I was old enough to understand?”

“Are you ever really old enough to understand something like that? Even now _I_ cannot imagine just… tossing my child away. I have hated Laufey and Farbauti for over a thousand years and that hatred has absolutely nothing to do with the war but I have also been grateful to them.”

Loki blinked in surprise. “What could you possibly be grateful to them for?”

“Because Loki, if they hadn’t abandoned you, I never would have found you. I would have lost out on having you for a son, and you are my son regardless of blood. According to your mother, you were always meant to be ours.”

“If that were true, then why wasn’t I born to you?”

“The Norns’ work is ever mysterious. After Thor’s birth, your mother and I did try for more children but it was nearly impossible for her to conceive. She finally did but she lost the baby only a short time before I brought you home. Only your mother, Lady Eir and I knew of her miscarriage.

“I smuggled you back to Asgard fearing the whole time that I would be too late. You were dying, not only had you been left to the elements with no one to feed you but with your umbilical cord not properly tied off you were slowly losing blood.”

“How did no one notice?” Loki asked, more confused than anything else. He looked down at his hands. “Was it you who gave me an Æsir form? How did you control the evil within me? Being Laufey’s… I had to have inherited some, if not _all_ , of his darkness.”

“Your form you changed on your own. You have held powerful seiðr since infancy. Your mother told me your seiðr called out for hers. When she first held you,” Odin shook his head at the memory, “it had been too long since I had seen her so happy. Our family had been incomplete but that changed once I brought you home.”

His father’s expression turned sad. “Loki, being Jötunn does not make you inherently evil. Laufey was ambitious but he was also desperate. Jötunheim was dying long before the war broke out and Midgard was a prime target. As time went on he grew drunk on his power, thinking he could slaughter all of Midgard and take the Realm for himself.”

“How were my actions any different?” Loki asked, standing so he could pace the small balcony. He could see nothing but parallels between Laufey’s actions and his own. “I went to Midgard with the intention of ruling them. I slaughtered _billions_ of Midgardians because I wanted a throne I was denied here.”

“Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?”

Loki stopped his pacing and turned back to his father. “It’s what happened,” he tried weakly.

“It is what happened, to a point. What you did on Midgard was not due to any desire you held.”

“It was my desire,” Loki argued.

His father stood, placing his hands on Loki’s shoulders. “The only desire you held was the desire to be free of Thanos’s torment. I will not deny that you were forced to do terrible things but if you had not done them you would not have survived. There is a measured difference between Laufey’s invasion of Midgard and your own.

“I spoke for quite some time with Director Fury and other members of the organization he leads. Given the evidence presented to us along with the help you provided in defeating Thanos, we have all come to the decision that you are not responsible for what happened.”

“What about Asgard?” Loki asked. “What about what I did here? You can’t blame that on anything Thanos did to me.”

“What did you do here?”

Loki gaped at his father. “I destroyed Thor’s coronation, I-I conspired with Laufey, lured him here with the promise that he would be able to kill you. I usurped your throne. I _killed_ Thor!”

The expression that crossed Odin’s face was one of exasperation. “You were forced into a situation that never should have happened. You were legally Asgard’s king, therefore any actions you took to prevent the escalation of hostilities between Asgard and Jötunheim were well within your right and therefore _legal._

“As for Thor,” he gestured to the door leading back into the library, “your brother is very much alive, unless I have been hallucinating the past year.”

“Why will you not simply accept that I am evil? That I am a lost cause?”

“Because you are my son and I refuse to give up on you. I was forced to pretend otherwise for a while and I hated every moment of it.”

“But I’m not your son,” Loki continued to argue. The more Loki tried to make his father see reason, the weaker his explanations seemed to be.

“If you wish to be literal, then no, you are not my son—”

Loki felt a flash of victory at Odin’s admission.

“—but you are still blood. I learned from Loki that Queen Farbauti was my sister. You may not be my son by blood but you are my nephew. You are Æsir as well as Jötunn.”

Loki hadn’t realized he’d begun to cry until his father wiped the tears from his eyes. “You are not going to give up on me,” a statement, not a question.

“Never.” Odin stepped back and returned to his seat. He patted the space beside him. “Now if you will indulge me, I want to tell you about your grandmother.”

* * *

_2024_

Loki and Thor walked slowly down the dirt road, taking in the gorgeous day and the lovely forest around them. They had glimpsed a lake through the trees, the water looking very inviting. In their reality fall had given way to winter while here, summer was in full swing.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Thor said, “but why didn’t you simply bring us to the cabin?”

“Loki said the road leading up to the cabin was beautiful. Also that they weren’t telling Morgan we are coming.” He smiled at Thor, “We’re surprising her.”

As they approached the cabin the brothers saw children’s toys scattered across the yard. The cabin was quaint, a stark contrast to the places Stark had invited them to in their reality.

Just before the brothers stepped up onto the porch a noise behind them drew their attention. Both brothers stopped and stared in confusion as a portal began to form, one Loki recognized as belonging to the Sorcerers. A Midgardian man stepped through, garbed in differing shades of blue with a red cape draped around his shoulders. Loki was impressed to see the Cloak of Levitation had finally bonded with someone.

The man, however, extruded the same arrogance as all of the other Sorcerers Loki had met. The man pinched the bridge of his nose, “Thor, we really need to talk about your brother,” he dropped his hand. “Loki may be ‘reformed’ but he is still the biggest threat to Earth.” The man turned his eyes to Loki. “I don’t know _how_ you managed to double the amount of power you give off but as Sorcerer Supreme, I can’t allow such a threat to be here.”

Loki managed to keep himself from flinching at the man’s words. He did exchange a confused look with his brother though.

“Who are you?” Thor asked.

Instead of answering, the man said, “I think it would be better if Loki returned to Asgard and remained there _permanently._ ”

“We were invited here,” Thor replied, “and you didn’t answer my question. Who are you?”

“Strange,” the tone of the man’s voice clearly stated that Thor needed to stop playing dumb.

“That you are,” Loki said, “but what does that have to do with your name?”

The man, Strange, muttered something very unflattering under his breath. “The only way I can allow Loki to stay is if he is under your supervision. We both know it is only a matter of time before he tries something and the minute Loki does I will not hesitate to do what I have to in order to protect this world.”

“My brother is no threat to Midgard, either of them,” Thor insisted.

Strange’s eyebrows drew together, “Both?”

“Ki!”

Loki turned around and caught Morgan as she launched herself off the porch.

She giggled happily, “You came!”

“We came,” Loki replied, smiling. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Morgan rolled her eyes. “It was, but T’or is a _terrible_ liar.” Her eyes fell on the thunder, “Oh, hi T’or.” His brother waved at her and Morgan’s eyes landed upon Strange. “What’re you doing here?” She scowled at him, “You better not be mean to my Ki’s.”

Strange continued to appear puzzled. “‘Ki’s’?”

Morgan twisted in Loki’s arms so she could yell back towards the cabin. “Ki, the mean magic man is here!”

“I am _not_ mean,” Strange objected. “I only want what is best for this planet.”

The expression which crossed Morgan’s face forced Loki to stifle laughter. She appeared so much like him in that moment it was frightening. Thor apparently didn’t feel the need to remain silent. He burst out laughing. “Loki really has had an influence on her, hasn’t he?”

Elder Loki stepped out onto the porch, “What are you yelling about?”

“The mean magic man is here,” Morgan said. “I think he’s being mean to Ki.” She turned back to him. “Ki calls him a…” she paused, “I can’t say the word.”

“Charlatan sweetheart,” elder Loki replied, leaning against the railing.

“Yeah, that.” Morgan put a hand beside her mouth and spoke as though she was imparting a great secret. “Mean magic guy’s magic is stinky. It’s not as awesome as yours and Ki’s is.”

“What is going on here,” Strange demanded.

Elder Loki gestured to Loki and Thor. “They’re from an alternate reality, the one Morgan and I were sent to back in February. We invited them here to see what our reality is like. Which, by the way, Infinity is as protective of Loki as it is of me so… I wouldn’t try anything stupid.”

Resignation fell over Strange’s face. “There are two of you now? Not you making duplicates of yourself, actually _two_ of you.”

Elder Loki smirked and by his expression, he was enjoying the other man’s displeasure. “Yep,” he made a popping sound on the “p”.

“I’ve got two Ki’s!” Morgan declared with happiness.

“I don’t like it,” Strange said. He gestured again and his portal reformed. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” elder Loki said dismissively. “Go back to your little magician’s club,” he made a shooing gesture, “scram.”

Strange disappeared through the portal and once it had closed, Loki heard laughter ring out from inside the cabin. Stark, Lady Pepper and elder Thor stepped onto the porch and Stark wiped tears from his eyes. “That never gets old,” Stark said.

Lady Pepper smacked her husband on the shoulder, “You take way too much enjoyment from that Tony.”

“Hey, a guy’s gotta get his kicks in where he can. Now that I’m not actively saving the world or any other worlds,” Stark dropped his shoulders dramatically, “I’m bored.”

“I will take bored over an apocalypse any day,” elder Thor said.

“Party pooper.”

“You know, if you really want to alleviate your boredom,” Loki said, smirking at Morgan, “we can always pop into other realities,” he then gestured between himself and elder Loki, “and see if we cannot find more versions of us for you to bring home.” Morgan nodded vigorously at the suggestion.

Stark jerked and he seemed to reconsider exactly how bored he really was. “On second thought, two of you is enough.”

“I suggest we find more versions of me,” elder Thor said. His Thor nodded in agreement.

“No,” Morgan said, “More Ki’s.”

Elder Thor pressed a hand against his chest and feigned a hurt look, “I’ve been hit!”

Stark shared a look with his wife then rolled his eyes. “Remind me again why we invited the Tweedles into our lives?”

“Face it Tony,” Lady Pepper said. She stepped off the porch to give him and Thor hugs. “Your life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without them.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this so far. See you next week!


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